Chronicles of a Roman Emperor
by Alex Bourbon
Summary: Something mysterious inside a bag sends Buffy and Xander into the Roman Empire. They must learn to adapt and live or die into eternity.
1. Forced into an Empire

Xander reached the door of his two-room apartment, still digging around in his jacket pocket for his keys. He was immediately on guard as he stepped cautiously inside and crept towards the living room. Keeping his back to the doorway, he scanned the room for any sign of disturbances. Everything looked normal and he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly a hand came down on his shoulder. Xander yelped and jumped to his side, spinning around to face whoever was behind him. A recognizable figure stood right in front of him on the stairs, leaning on the rail and smirking at him.

"Geez, Brit, don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

She laughed softly, and as he began to relax, she smiled. She had been going out with Xander for a couple of months and still after that time, it felt like it was their first day. Every day was filled with unexpected excitement.

"Come here," he instructed, moving backwards to his couch. She sauntered towards him and accepted his hug gladly. "Not trying to be mean, Brit, but why did you follow me from Buffy's?"

She pulled back from the hug regretfully, her hands still running through his hair. "You didn't say goodbye so I made sure we would."

"I appreciate that, Brit, but next time try to approach me... Face to face."

"No problem, Xand," she said quietly.

"You look tired," he told her, reaching out to run his hand along her arm. "How about a nap?"

Normally, she would have protested, but her body took over her mind as she caved into a big yawn. Brittany sighed, handed Xander his bag and was led by him into his bedroom. She noticed as they entered the bedroom that the sheets had changed and a flood of satisfaction rushed through her.

"Oh, you finally changed your sheets Xander. I was hoping the next time we'd have sex we'd do it on clean sheets." She yawned again.

"Who said we were having sex? You need to get some sleep."

She undressed almost in a trance and climbed under the covers, already slipping into a drowsy state. Xander sat down at the edge of the bed and pulled the sheets up around her, before leaning forward to place a soft kiss on her forehead.

"It's really nice to have you as a boyfriend. You know that, right?" she murmured sleepily.

"Yeah I know," he whispered back, making sure to close the door softly behind him as he left the room.

Xander put down his fork and was finishing the last mouthful of his steak dinner when a thought came to him. He had taken his bag of clothes to Buffy's, had prepared to sleepover, but before he decided to leave he remembered that he did not care to see if he had taken the right bag. There were, according to his memory, four bags at Buffy's, all of which were black.

Xander scrambled over to the black bag he had brought into his apartment. As he thought about if he had taken the right bag and between his friends and girlfriend, he didn't hear the soft knock on the door, or the quiet footsteps. He bit down on his lip, stripping open the bag from the zipper in one clean rip.

"Xander?"

The sudden voice startled Xander and he jumped, accidentally falling backwards onto the floor. He stood up quickly to make sure, if it was an intruder, to be in a ready position.

"You're hilarious, Xander!" she muttered sarcastically. The visitor he was surprised to see was Buffy. She was holding a black bag in her hands.

He winced in embarrassment for being so startled by his good friend.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I knocked a couple of times, so I began to worry. I just came to give you back your bag," she explained.

"It's okay, Buffy. It's my fault." He sighed, looking at the bag he brought and the one in Buffy's hands. "So... who's bag did I take?"

"I don't know."

Xander sighed, and added, "Alright, let's find out who's bag it is. But if you have my bag, then shouldn't the person who's missing this bag realize theirs is gone?"

"He or she probably didn't remember they brought a bag. It happens occasionally. We're humans and we make mistakes."

Xander glanced at the clock.

"It's 11.40 PM now. We should just do this tomorrow, and then we can find out whose bag it is. It's not like this is a crisis."

Buffy looked at him and caught his gaze. Xander could almost see the thoughts running through her mind. He knew it was the stubborn, resisting look.

"Losing clothes and personal belongings to some people is a crisis, Xander," she said quietly. "And I highly doubt if you lost your bag, you would sleep and wait 'til the next day."

Xander felt a sting in his forehead run through him, and he gulped.

"So Buffy, are you going to stay here or let me do this by myself?"

"I don't mind if..." she glanced down at her hands, before looking back up at his face. "I mean, if your tired, we can just find out whose bag it is and call them. And we can sleep here..."

Xander raised his eyebrow and was surprised, despite the warm rush of arousal that spiked through him at her words.

"That's quite an offer." He seemed to remember saying that before, to another girl. "Yeah and look what followed that!" he thought, as he remembered the first time Brittany and him had sex, a couple months ago.

"I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't serious. I'm tired myself."

Xander walked deliberately in the opposite direction towards the bedroom, opening and locking it from the inside.

"Are you alright?" she called across to him.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out where you can sleep..."

She chuckled. "Not with you."

Xander shrank back and remained silent. He had seemed to lose his sense of humor at the moment. He did not find Buffy's comment, although intended to be humorous, funny at all.

"Although it shames me to tell you, I think you might have to stick with the couch..." Xander stated.

Xander looked confused, and Buffy looked stunned, before asking in a shaking voice, "I'm the guest right?"

Xander nodded. "Yes."

"Shouldn't I be gifted with sleeping on a bed?"

"No," Xander replied quickly, catching Buffy off guard. "I mean, no thanks. I didn't clean the sheets and frankly it just smells in there."

"Don't tease me like that," she groaned. "It's bad enough I had to drive twenty minutes to get down here and the night before, getting two hours of sleep. The couch would just make things worse."

"Oh, you're just overreacting," Xander laughed nervously.

Buffy shot Xander a confused look. He mirrored it back at her. Buffy inhaled deeply and gave up, "Okay. Where are you sleeping?"

"Floor," he said simply.

"Splendid!" Her disappointment had suddenly skyrocketed to happiness. "If I would have known, I would not have complained," she giggled.

"So, can we just open the bag already?" Xander asked frustratingly.

Buffy looked at him, smiling. "Hey, you stole it. You can open it, I'm getting the television."

She moved speedily to the couch and leapt up and onto it, instinctively grabbing the remote control for the television.

"You have to leave early in the morning though," Xander added.

"How early?" she asked, flipping on the television.

"Whenever I wake you up."

Buffy turned her head and frowned at him. "Just remember I can beat you up..."

Xander inwardly winced at the comment, remembering the amount of times she had reminded him that in recent months. "Anything good on television tonight?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Don't worry about it Xander, just find out what's in the bag."

Xander held up his hands so Buffy could see, palms out, and dug his hands into the open bag. Suddenly, many tiny beams of light escaped his palm. In the middle of the room, a small flash of light occurred. A tiny spark appeared, swirling and growing. Around the spark, the air seemed to bend and melt. A form started to take shape as the spark grew. The form was definitely a portal to an unknown forested area. The first thing Xander noted was that in the background were huge buildings of marble and concrete. Soon, distinct features of the buildings began to emerge. Xander could see the Roman Coliseum in grand scale.

"Oh my god..." Xander whispered. He could see in the corner of his eye that Buffy did not notice what was going on.

Xander steadied his body against Buffy's head, which was still facing the television.

"Xander! What's your..." Buffy trailed off, as the intense light that she had turned to suddenly blinded her.

Xander uttered, more like squeaked, simply, "God help us."

This wasn't a safe place for them, not for anyone. Still, Buffy and Xander remained still as if the light would not recognize them as humans. The form wrapped itself around them so fast that they did not have time to move. "Help!" Xander and Buffy screamed in unison, as the light captured them both.

Brittany woke up in a start, sitting up in Xander's bed, making the old springs squeak. She turned over the bed and got onto her feet. The loud yelp had awakened her senses.

"Xander!" she called out. There was no response. Brittany couldn't remember the last time she was shaking so much. "You there, Xander?"

Brittany creaked open the bedroom door and noticed immediately that no one was in the apartment. She went to the small kitchen and opened up a cabinet. She retrieved one of her many prescription bottles, and struggled opening the cap of the sleeping doses. She shook the two tablets out and they stuck to her sweaty palm. She put them in her mouth and let them dissolve onto her tongue, the taste of it acid and nauseating. She waited until she gagged it out into the sink and then washed it down with warm tap water. This was her nightly ritual.

Brittany's cold feet treaded across the cold tile of the kitchen onto the warm carpet of the living room. She noticed two black bags lying on the floor. The television also remained on. Strangely, she had totally forgotten about the television. The silent volume perhaps was the reason.

She walked over to the television and turned it off. She knew something was wrong. Her mind flashed back from the television to the bags. One of the two bags was open while the other was not. Brittany choked back her fear and walked over to the opened black bag.

She had a feeling this was the problem. It had to be. As she prepared to open wide the bag, a quick burst of adrenaline ran through her body and her mind calmed.

"I'm going to have to do this," she reassured herself.

She knelt to the ground and quickly spread the opened bag. She was surprised to see that nothing was inside. The faint scent of burnt smoke and fire floated from the hole-filled bag. Brittany mumbled something like an obscenity but she could hear nothing but her own heartbeat, pounding into her ears. Then there was a sharp and intense pain that shot through her body. The pills and the smoke had overcome her and she lost consciousness.

A dizzying ray of sunshine in ethereal essence poured over a field of flowers. The breeze blew gently, washing the scent of heather through the air. Just beyond a stone-fenced row, a trickling brook flowed through the land. The water flowed from the brook all the way into a city.

Xander sat up from the grass, surrounded by flowers. He was sweating from every pour from his body and he whispered a name on his quivering lips, "Buffy."

As his voice trailed off, the brilliant day darkened. The clouds were chased away by a harrowing storm, where the rain fell hard and as deep as a swift razorblade. Xander looked away from the sky to find a cart full of villagers dragged by a horse on a marble road. The road seemed to be leading right into the heart of what appeared to be a huge city.

Brooding over the heavy rain, Xander was lost in his own thoughts. What the hell was in that bag? Whose bag was it? In all of his imaginations of what could be inside the bag, never had he been so shocked to find out that it was a portal to another world. The details crept up on him now; the fine lines under his eyes, the sick paleness streaking his skin, how sad his eyes looked. Shaking out of his fit of analysis, Xander surfaced and scanned the area for Buffy. "Buffy!"

Grasping his body and clothes to see if he had lost something, he noticed that the only living things around him besides the people in the cart on the road were beautiful flowers.

Xander smiled weakly at the sight of the flowers, filling his heart with some joy and lessening some of the tension inside him.

"Lovely flowers," he said. He directed his gaze up towards the city that lay in front of him. The sight was staggering.

Standing stiff, Xander held his breath in awe as the city hung before him like a stage in which he was in the back row.

Its features included high, steep hills surrounded by deep ravines and impassable valleys. Lush vegetation, including old woods, covered the hillsides and the outskirts of the city, together with fields, gardens and vineyards. The streams that flowed through the valleys, like the brook next to him, turned into marshland, forming ponds, and small lakes in the city. Xander noticed some villages on hilltops and down below, and more easily, the Coliseum. It was Rome. Just when Xander thought there was nothing else to admire, he diverted his eyes towards a massive water aqueduct surrounding the forest.

"You got to be kidding me." Xander would have completely believed he was in a dream if it wasn't for the raindrops chilling his skin. The rain surrounding him left Xander to wonder where he could find shelter. He then began to think of a hotel. "I don't think these people take credit cards or cash," he remarked.

Even though he felt the rain wash over his face that made his eyes close several times, he continued to stand still amidst the flowers. Xander saw that the cart began to fade away into a grayish sort of color, which he recognized as the Roman city itself. If he lost sight of the cart, he realized that he would have trouble finding anyone inside the city that could help him.

"Wait! People! Please come back! You must turn around!" Xander demanded, his eyes narrowing and lighting up with a certain amount of frustration in them. "Turn around immediately!"

Despite Xander's pleas, the people rode the cart casually down into the city, allowing their eyes to be trained on him as they rode out of his sight. The looks on their faces were of disgust and pity.

Watching someone turn him down right in front of his eyes was not something Xander had not seen before. But it was the looks on their faces that startled him the most. It was the murderous, callous, uncaring stares of people that gave him an image of how people in the city might be like.

Xander shivered as the rain continued to pour down his clothes. "Damn strangers." Xander grunted and fingered through his pockets. "It's going to be a long night."

Xander stepped back from the flowers and squatted on his heels next to a tree. The enormous tree beside him did not cover the rain from hitting him, but did reduce the heavy pounding into small drops. Taking his wallet from his pocket, he picked out his small picture of Brittany from it.

He looked at the picture as if it was the real person herself. "I know it's going to be tough, Brittany. But I'll come back, I promise you." He kissed the picture and placed it back into his wallet.

Giles would have loved to be here, Xander thought. The rain continued to pour hard, basking the flowers with nutrients. Xander began to think again of the bags. The people at Buffy's house were he, Willow, Faith, and Giles. It was easy for Xander to think that the bag that led him to this place was Giles, but he had second thoughts. He knew Willow and Faith had connections to witchcraft, whereas Giles did not. "A portal is a sign of witchcraft," he thought, remembering his wedding to Anya where an old man went through the portal to warn Xander of the dangers of marrying Anya.

Xander bent over to pick up two flowers that resembled daffodils. "Two prime suspects... Willow and Faith." Xander sniffed both of the flowers, smelling the essence inside each. "Take your pick, winner loses all." Xander dropped the flower that represented Faith and held the flower in his left hand as Willow.

Xander looked at the flower with a playful, uncaring ease. He ripped apart the stem and petals. He let the decapitated flower fall to the ground. "Willow, how could you!" he yelled. He slid along the tree, making room for him to rest his head.

Xander did not take his eyes off the dead flower. "Willow," he said, laying a hand on the parts of the flower. "Get another hobby." He relaxed against the bark of the tree and closed his eyes. "I'm going to sleep now," he whispered to himself. "Let's hope to god that I wake up in a bed, not in this mess." Xander truly believed he would wake up in his bed. In a way, he had a right to. It wasn't often to be sent to a different world. To Rome.


	2. Welcomed Guest

Xander winced upon hearing the typical morning chickens' crow. He opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that he was in a bedroom. It seemed every emotion of joy and happiness filled inside his bones. "Well... What do ya know?" he asked himself a loud. He hopped joyfully off the soft bed and went towards a small window that the sunlight penetrated through.

He expected to see a street with cars zooming by, people going off to work or kids in their backyards playing Frisbee. He suddenly noticed through the window that he was staring at the same flowers he was resting in the night before, a couple hundred yards away. Xander closed his eyes, hoping to imagine himself back in Sunnydale. He was immediately aware that a change of reality had taken place.

Swallowing hard to force back the tears and lump in his throat, he opened his eyes to see an old man staring back at him curiously.

"I don't know where you came from. But I'm hoping you can discuss this with me this morning as we eat," the old man said with bitterness.

"I don't belong here," Xander said through barely contained rage.

"We all feel like we do not belong. But trust me, I will make it that you feel belonged here," the man said calmly.

Xander paused and once again, stared out at the window, the garden scene instilled heavily on his mind. In front of him, out the window, not ten yards away, the petite form of a woman crept up cautiously.

Xander jerked away, yelling, until he realized he had no reason to yell. His heart still pounded, and he was drenched in a cold sweat. He took several deep breaths to calm himself, before looking at his surroundings. He spotted the old man chuckling. He frowned as he realized that the woman outside was a family member of his.

"That's my daughter, son. She's not that ugly is she?" the old man mused.

"Father!" the young girl said through the window, overhearing what her father had said.

The old man chuckled again. He peeked out the window and blew a kiss to his daughter. "Good morning, Illeana. Always a beautiful sight to see you in the garden." The young girl smiled with satisfaction and moved out of sight from the window. The old man leaned back in and glanced at Xander. "You want to marry her?"

"Huh?" Xander looked shocked. "Uh..."

The old man's eyes narrowed. "You better marry her. She's a lonely girl."

"She looks young," Xander said. "I mean, look at me, don't I look like an adult to you?"

The old man placed his hands on his hips, angry. "You are turning down a request from me to marry her? Who do you think I am, a farmer?"

Xander paled. "Well, I..."

The old man smiled, having found the right button to press. "You're a funny person, my son." Xander smiled. "Of course you aren't going to marry my daughter. I want her to be a maiden all her life."

"You sure about that? Or are you messing with me again?" Xander said, uneasily. "I'm not too sure she would want to live her whole life without a man."

"My ancestry dates back to the age of Alexander the Great. I have many other family members continuing the bloodline... I feel that there is no necessity for her to marry," he answered firmly.

Xander looked disappointed. "That's not what I mean. You know... love?" The old man frowned. Xander sighed. "Never mind."

"So, you ready to come eat with me wife, daughter, and I?"

"Yeah, but I'd like to know what your names are first." Xander told the old man.

"My name isn't Illeana," an amused voice said from behind the old man. Xander whirled, and came face-to-face with a very tall, beautiful woman. She looked like she was in her forties and her hair was long and raven-black, curling in vast waves down to her waist. Her eyes were as black as her hair, with no whites, no pupils, and just two deep black pools. Her skin was terribly pale, set off even more by the black, flowing dress she wore.

"This is your wife I presume," Xander said, unable to do anything but stare.

"I am Acacia." The woman's voice reminded Xander of the whisper of the wind through the trees. "I am sorry for looking so pale, but I have caught a fever."

"Any medication for it?" Xander asked. The woman shook her head disapprovingly.

"Here in the countryside, we just wait until the illness dies out itself, or we die," she said, smiling.

"Couldn't you just go into the city? They probably have something for it..."

Acacia's smile faded as she remembered something awful. "We cannot pay for the medicine in the city. It costs too much. We have to make the medicine here."

Xander's eyes widened. "What! That's not right. There should be some system here to help you guys out."

The old man laughed. "Its just medicine, my son. She will live. I tend to believe medicine dulls the mind."

Xander tried his best to remain cool, though it was becoming increasingly difficult. He knew that whatever time period he was in, the medication would be not as modern as it was in Sunnydale's. He couldn't bear the thought of watching someone die or maybe even himself of something so miniscule as a fever. Trying to forget about the troubles, he scratched his stomach. He was itching to eat. It felt like he had went weeks without eating. "Side effects of time travel," he thought.

The old man walked closer over to Xander and stared at him for a moment, curiosity making his blue eyes sparkle involuntary. "You okay, son? When I found you sleeping against that tree I knew you would be sick."

Xander winced at the excessive use of 'son.' Ignoring the throbbing rage of his stomach, he asked, "What's your name?"

"Cato," he said, putting a gentle hand on Xander's shoulder. "It's a Latin name."

"Well Cato," Acacia broke in. "I for one am starving. I'm going to set up the meals in the main room."

"Okay, dear," he said, grinning. He gave Xander a nudge in the stomach. "I think you're pretty hungry too."

"Yeah, you're right," Xander replied. "I haven't eaten in days."

"All right, I'll make sure Acacia makes some food quick for ya," Cato said.

"No, sir. It's okay. I'll just eat with everyone at the same time," Xander stammered.

Cato walked towards the exit of the room, turning his head at Xander. "Okay, son." Before he walked out, he tilted his head in. "I have some clothes in that shelf over there," he pointed. "By the way, I seem to have forgotten your name."

"I never had the pleasure of giving you my name," Xander said, stepping backwards near the shelf.

Cato smiled at Xander and nodded. "Well, what is your name? If you don't mind..."

"Xander."

Cato frowned a bit and sighed, acknowledging the strangeness of the name. "Now I am positive you are not from around here." He left the room.

Xander breathed slowly. "Not from here," he said, looking around. "Not from this world."

The dining hall was empty except for a table, Acacia, Illeana, Cato, and Xander. The food was already set down and Xander took his place to the left of Cato, much to his disliking. Cato liked to talk and seemed to always put him on the spot. The atmosphere was solemn and quiet as Xander passed his eyes from one face to the other.

"What has happened, Xander?" Cato asked him suspiciously.

"Well now that all of you are here, I may tell you," Xander said. Before he was about to talk about how the portal and how he was transported from present day to the Roman time, he thought about the repercussions of saying such a thing. "They would think I'm crazy," he thought wisely. "These people might be worse than the Salem people."

"Yes?" Cato asked, waiting for the story.

"I am from England and somehow I got the wrong ride into this city." He smiled weakly.

"Is that all? I thought you would be more interesting than that!" Cato laughed.

"Well I am, but I feel the story is too difficult to describe," Xander answered. Illeana rolled her eyes as Acacia smirked. Xander thought immediately of something to say. It would be effective only if he related it to his own experience. "Well I knew a woman, just like Acacia. I was married to her. She had two children with me."

"You're a father?" laughed Cato.

Xander felt like hitting Cato. He didn't realize how insincere he was until now. He knew he had to play the part of a despaired man but with Cato's constant blabbering, he could easily crack and be seen through his lies. He focused on the women, who did not look fooled at all. At this point, he had no other choice.

"Like I was saying, the woman was just like Acacia. In her beauty," he said. "She followed me up to my home and I put her to sleep. She did not wake up. I felt she might have been poisoned."

Slowly, Acacia's gaze fell as she listened to his piercing words. She felt overly aroused by his words that she did not want to let Cato see her.

"What happened to your children?" the innocent Illeana asked.

Xander leaned over, touching the dark curls gathered at the nape of her neck, and wondered wearily what drove him to be so gentle. The situation he was in was barely a problem now because he could tell that Acacia was buying the bait and the girl herself was interested. "Oh, they were fine," he said softly. "I had two girls. They both were taken by my grandmother because she thought me irresponsible."

A short silence followed, during which Acacia blushed, realizing she had taken each word of Xander's too seriously. She shuffled in her seat, a feeling of discomfort and apprehension blighting her good mood.

"Xander?" Cato enquired worriedly. "Is everything all right?"

His gaze snapped back at Cato, his brows knitted together with anger and deep thought. "Yes, Cato."

Acacia turned her face suddenly towards Xander, making her cower over the table. She swallowed several times, her eyes wide, as if wanting desperately to tell him something.  
"I'm very sorry to hear about your wife, Xander," she confessed quietly. "I hope you can return home again to see your children."

Xander noticed Acacia's pain, which disturbed him. He expected her to kill herself over the loss of his wife. Xander tried to forget all his lies for a moment and preferred to relish the rare pleasure of comfortably contemplating what he missed in Sunnydale.

Xander thought of everything that had happened in his life in Sunnydale. From the day he killed his best friend Jesse to the death of his ex-girlfriend, Anya. Xander felt tears running down his face, but he didn't care. He was glad he was letting loose all his pain from the past. It would have never happened if he hadn't left Sunnydale.

"I feel sorry for you Xander," Cato said. "You can stay with the family as long as you want."

Xander took a sip of the water from the clay cup on the table and placed it back down. The water's rich peaty flavor caught Xander by surprise. He had never tasted anything like it before. Xander's dark hazel eyes glanced at Cato and grinned. He put his hand on Cato's shoulder. "Thank you, Cato." He looked at the cup. "Where'd you get this water from?"

"You can always stay with us, my friend," Cato reassured him. He looked at the cup Xander was focusing on. "Oh, we get the water from the Acqua Claudia aqueduct. It's the aqueduct you probably saw outside. The one that towers above our home."

Xander dipped his hands into the assortment of grapes on his plate and nibbled on a couple. "You know, you can make some good wine out of this..."

"Of course we know," Cato said. "I'm surprised you Englishmen are that smart to realize you could. Our wines here are the best in the world."

"I heard you people can't fight," Illeana intervened. "I read about Claudius and how he conquered Britannia without breaking a sweat."

"I wish I knew what the hell you were talking about girl," Xander thought. "Yeah, well we can fight alright. Just not as good as the Romans."

Everyone at the table laughed. "That's an understatement," Cato said. "No one is even close to our legions."

"Ya know father," Illeana chided. "I heard that Commodus died."

Cato laughed as he placed a small portion of meat with diced ham, a half of bread loaded with toppings and a bowl of steaming soup in front of Xander. "That happened two months ago dear. You have to be more informed," he said, turning back towards his own meal.

Xander smiled uneasily. "Commodus died huh? That's a sad thing." He took a long, appreciative swallow of the hot brew and then used his hands to dig into the food before him. After eating several bites and commenting on how good Acacia's cooking was and how delicious the meal was, he changed the subject to what he really wanted to talk about- the year he was in. "Well in England we usually don't keep track of the years as good as the Romans do. What month, day, and year is it again?"

"I know," Cato responded. "You're here for answers aren't you? It is the month of March, the day is the 25th, and the year is 193."

Xander put down his food and pushed the plate aside. He took one more gulp of the water in the clay cup. "Can I be excused?"

"Sure," Cato stated simply. "You can take a nap and later in the afternoon, you and I are going to the city to the market."

Xander's face was clearly dazed. "Okay... Just wake me up when you're ready," he said, staggering out of the hall.

Clearing his throat, he entered his small room and fell tiredly onto the bed. "I have to get out of here..." Xander thought. "I have to find Buffy. If I'm not mistaken, she went into the portal with me. Why didn't we both come out at the same place? She has to be somewhere, but there's no way I can find her!"

Xander brought his head up from the bed and began pounding his head against it. He yelled in frustration. There was nowhere to go. It was not like he could just go to Sunnydale; he was in a different time period, the year 193.

As he continued to pound his head against the bed, he heard a noise behind him. He twirled around and saw Acacia. He saw her shocked expression on her, and he smiled. "Hey Acacia, you caught me at the wrong time. I'm busy bashing my brains out. You want to help?"

Acacia blinked a couple of times, still unable to believe what she was seeing. "I'm so sorry..."

Xander continued to vent. "No need to be. It's my fault. If only I had taken the right bag!" He continued to bang his head viciously against the bed.

Acacia picked up Xander's flannel shirt that was lying on the floor and started rummaging through the fabric of the clothes, from top to bottom. She looked at Xander. "These clothes are really..."

Xander laughed. "-High-tech."

"High-tech?" she asked, confused. Acacia sat down on the bed beside Xander, with the flannel still in her hands. She ran her left hand across the back of his shoulder. "I did not know England had such clothes."

Xander took the shirt from her hands and examined it thoughtfully. "You'll have to wait about another 1,800 years to see these."

Acacia gave Xander another confused look. She didn't say anything for a second. She continued to rub Xander's back like she was a massage therapist. "You must be lonely..."

Xander laughed nervously. "Yeah."

Acacia put the back of her hand on his cheek like she knew what he was thinking. "Once you return from going to the market with Cato, you and I once Cato is asleep can spend some time together..."

"Wow, you're pretty straight-forward aren't ya?" Xander sat up a little bit more on the bed. "Uh... I guess. What's your punishment here for adultery?" He looked at Acacia like he was sure why she was serious and down to business. He could see inner turmoil inside Acacia and why she would make such a forceful statement. He felt like he was with the Praying Mantis Teacher all over again. He didn't know whether in the end, she would snap him apart in pieces.

"When I was doing work outside with the garden the other day-" Acacia shook her head and looked back down, "and last night, right before Cato found you-" she looked back up. "He beats me, Xander, I guess you probably already know that by the bruises."

Xander nodded and frowned like someone frowns when you hear something horrible has happened. It was a sickening feeling.

Acacia leaned forward and extended her elbows so Xander could see. The marks on them were horrifying. Blood still dripped from the tips of the elbows and both of the elbows looked like open wounds.

Xander didn't say anything. He looked at Acacia and turned the air of the room over his lungs, almost like he was letting out all of the pent up anger inside him.

Xander nodded his head, and Acacia reached for his face and kissed him. Xander shook his head and pulled Acacia aside to a spot next to the bed.

"You are going to have to deal with him, Xander. You'll learn a lot from him. He is a good person but his temper is a problem-"

"What you're telling me doesn't surprise me, Acacia. You are telling me that he beats you and at the same time, you are saying he is a good man. You are indecisive just like most of the girls I've met. As I see it, the bastard should be in jail right now. And to think you are sick with a fever, and he still beats you!"

Acacia grimaced. "I don't even know why I came in here. Just make sure you go with Cato to the market. He hasn't had a male companion in years."

"Wonder why." Xander put his hand on her shoulder. "Hang in with him. All will come well. Don't you think?"

"Yeah," Acacia agreed wryly. "I think I will survive."

Staring intently into her eyes, Xander felt some tension between them. He worried so much about Acacia, first from her fever now to her being beaten. "Acacia," he whispered as he crouched down at the side of the bed beside her. She was looking straight up, her eyes wide open, like she was a patient being worked on. "When I return, I intend to be a force that separates you from Cato. He will not lay a single hand on you ever again." He tilted her head back so she could face his, and Xander lowered his mouth to hers. "I, not you, am very sorry..."

With the touch of his mouth to hers, the insecurities that filled Acacia turned into raging passion. Feeling a bigger hunger for him than she would have thought herself capable of, she curled her arms around his neck and returned his kiss strongly.

Xander's mouth, just as hungry as hers, deepened the kiss, tasting the sweetness of her lips and his probing tongue. His hands moved over her rigid back, which seemed to have also taken a beating, sending thrills through her as he made his journey down to her butt.

Realizing the needs that Acacia longed for, Acacia responded with an equal heat to his kiss and equaled the caressing movements of his hands with her own.

"Acacia! Acacia!" Repeating her name in an aching yell, Cato's footsteps clunked through the hall.

Instinctively, Xander pushed himself back away from her, he stared into her eyes, carefully taking the flannel shirt that lay on the bed and handing it to her. "Tell him, you're going to wash the clothes."

The tremors inside Acacia intensified to a quake as she stood up, grasping the clothes, and hearing Cato's voice behind her.

"What's going on here?" he asked curiously.

Xander smiled faintly at Cato. "She's just taking my clothes to wash them." He shrugged. "The clothes have been through a lot."

"Cato, dear, are you going with Xander to the market?" Acacia asked, turning around to smile at Cato.

Xander was amazed how she was able to sound so normal, like nothing had happened. He figured she had done things like this with other men.

"It's not quite time," Cato answered, narrowing his eyes as he examined Acacia's teary-eyed face. "You looked like you were crying. Is everything alright?"

The question startled Acacia. "Yes, Cato. Just let me clean the clothes. I insist you and Xander begin to go to the market. The later you go, the more busier it will be."

Cato's eyes misted over to Xander. "For once, I will do as you say, Acacia. Just for being my wife," he said in a husky voice. "Xander, let's go."

"Sounds fine," Xander agreed, thinking: At least leaves Acacia to herself without being harassed. Xander looked at Acacia as she gave him a secret little smile from her kiss-softened mouth. Xander laughed and looked at Cato. "To Rome."

Cato nodded. "Indeed."

Cato left the room and Xander glanced around fearfully. He was not in trouble, but he knew in the future, he could easily be. Acacia didn't answer his question about adultery's punishment, but then again, Xander had an answer for it already in his head. Death.


	3. A Hunch

Never before had Xander been so nervous or intrigued about entering a city. By the time Xander was settled into Cato's open cart, he was in an ecstasy of anticipation. The ride into the city would have easily taken less than two minutes in Xander's car, but it seemed to take forever in the horse-led cart.

Finally, after much shaking and turbulence on the cart, it was over. They had arrived. They were in Rome.

Pure adrenaline ran through Xander's veins as Cato led the horses off to a side of a cobblestone street to another street in the corner. Xander's eyes widened in stunning amazement as Cato and him approached the Roman Coliseum on the cart. Except for the fact that the Coliseum was complete and not deteriorated like the present version, the structure of the Coliseum resembled much of the same as it was in present time, 1,800 years in the future.

Xander gloated at the Coliseum, in which thousands of gladiators had fought and died in the arena, as well as persecuted Christians who were either ate by lions or burned alive on a stake. With a sense of awe, Xander recollected from history class that the Coliseum was built between the years 70-82 A.D. This meant that the Coliseum was just over a hundred years old. "The modern-day Fenway Park," Xander thought.

Confounded by the meaning of the scene, shuddering with excitement, Xander twirled around in his seat to gaze intently at the Coliseum as the cart made a left turn onto a bigger, congested section of the city. It was only when Xander noticed his peripheral vision that there were other sights that he was neglecting such as: arches, bathes, temples, forums, and markets.

Xander shifted in his seat from side to side, trying to see everything he could with his two eyes. "If only I had a camera," he murmured. To his amazement, much of what Xander observed were perfect buildings, none of which were decayed or looked old. The buildings all looked fresh and new made of stone that was in pristine condition. With a silent admiration towards the scene, he applauded with his hands at the sights he was given to. Cato, leading the horses, shook his head with laughter.

"We've only been here a couple of minutes and you already love the city!" he cried, whipping the horses to continue its pace.

"Where are we going?" Xander asked Cato, while gazing wide-eyed at a statue beside the Coliseum.

"The marketplace. A huge place to buy foods and drinks." Cato smiled. He looked at Xander to see what was grabbing his attention. "You're looking at the Colossus of Nero. I have no idea why they built such a thing for a tyrant..." His voice trailed away as he stopped the cart in an isolated alley.

Xander felt ripped apart. He wanted to go inside the Coliseum, venture into the temples he saw, and even mingle with some of the city residents. His ideas of exploration were hindered however, by a tug of the arm by Cato.

"Come on, Xander, we mustn't got all day," he urged, pulling Xander from his stares of admiration towards the city. "We need to hurry before the night comes. Acacia was right, it will be busy as hell once the sun sets."

"Ah... Cato," Xander said hesitantly as he walked along the marble ground, which began to hurt each step he took with his shoes. "You mind if I roam around in the city while you do the necessary grocery shopping?"

Cato stared at Xander, dumbfounded. "Roam around?" he repeated in a stunned manner. "On your own, son?"

"No! I was just joking!" Xander blurted out, thinking hastily. "I'll just walk with you." In truth, Xander loved the idea of walking into an ancient city alone. But reflecting on what he had seen when he first was in Rome, with the cart full of disgusted passengers, he decided that it would be best to keep a low-profile and blend in with another Roman.

"Okay, follow me Xander. Stay close. There are a lot of thieves in this city and dare I say, murderers," he explained, shaking his head.

As they walked, Xander looked behind him at the cart and horses. "You know, when you talk about thieves like that, I am wondering why would you leave your cart and horses out in the open."

Cato smiled. "Sunset and Stormy are well-trained. If someone tries to steal them, they'll cause havoc." He glanced at Xander. "You should know that. Horses are better protectors than warriors."

Xander held his breath for a second, admiring the scenery of the city. He was not paying any attention to Cato.

"Xander," Cato insisted.

Xander turned to Cato. "Yeah?"

"You haven't seen anything yet, my son," Cato promised, gleaming at Xander's innocence towards the city. "And thank you."

"For what?"

"For accompanying me here, of course! I cannot stand going into the city with my difficult wife..." he said pleasurably.

Xander glanced up and down at the street. "From my knowledge of history, I believe there is over a million inhabitants in this city." He gazed hopefully at Cato. "I feel honored to be that one person making you happy, but might I say, there are many others out there you know."

Cato grinned. "I know. But where we live it is tough to make friends. We live in a secluded area outside the city. To make friends here you have to be woven inside the urban fabric community. I for one dislike that community."

"How come?" Xander chuckled. "Not your type?" Small tingles of excitement radiated through his body. He did not realize how amusing the old man was.

Cato sighed and stopped dead in his tracks. He turned and said, "I'm turning 59 next month and I will be the first to tell you I've had many friends in my life. Must I give you an explanation to everything!"

"Yes," Xander replied at once. "I am a visitor here and I expect to be treated like one."

"Would you like to be crucified or quartered? Or would you rather pretend you're a Roman and go about your life like everyone else?" His tone was all business and determined. Xander could not shake him.

"They kill visitors, huh?" Xander asked puzzlingly.

Cato started to walk again and nodded. "Think about it. There's a million people,"-He paused to emphasis his tone- "Who are in this city as you said. Why would we want any more visitors? You should be thankful that our family is so gracious."

"I am." Suddenly Xander did realize that he was. For all he knew, he could have been dead yesterday, while sleeping against a tree. A robber or thief could have easily stolen his belongings or killed him. He also realized that perhaps no other family would have brought him into their homes, sleep in their bed, offer a fresh meal, and even go as far as to say, 'you can stay with the family as long as you want.'

Cato tilted his head, indicating Xander to precede him into the marketplace.

Xander followed him nimbly, nodding and smiling pleasantly at the Roman people he passed along the way. He paid close attention to the Roman women, who he adored for their clothing and jewelry. Engrossed in the sounds and smells of the streets, Xander felt intoxicated and drugged in delight.

The streets, made of cobblestone and dirt, contained mounds of dust swelled from every foot, wheel, and hoof that had compressed on it. There was a mixture of odors, most of them unpleasant that caused Xander to cover his nose briefly. It was most likely the unwashed people walking by him and horses on the road.

As the two entered the marketplace, Xander murmured his dissatisfaction of the smells. "Is there anything to put on? Like deodorant?"

Cato trudged happily into the marketplace. Inside the marketplace, there were stands full of fruits and vegetables, wine and water. Cato spotted a coconut stand and strolled towards it. He picked out a coconut and paid the seller in coins.

"What's the money you gave him called?" Xander asked.

"Denarius. Each coin is worth a lot," Cato answered honestly.

"What exactly," Xander inquired. "Are we getting?"

"The essentials; bread, wine, fruit. You want a piece?" He stretched out the coconut to him. Xander shook his head. "Suit yourself." Cato munched on the juicy coconut.

Xander lowered his gaze and bit his lip. Unconsciously he began moving and twitching his fingers nervously. The agitated motion of his fingers stopped and he sighed. "Have you seen a girl with blonde hair lately?" he asked. Though vague, what Xander said let out a bunch of things that were bugging him.

"I'd say the city is making you weird," Cato murmured, pointing directly into Xander's eyes, while eating the coconut.

"Buffy." Though Xander's tone was harsh and impatient, Xander couldn't deny the thrill of saying those words again. The name itself brought back many good memories.

"I really mean it." Cato gave Xander a concerned look he had not seen before. "Maybe we should hurry and get the food and get out of the city. Sometimes the city makes me a little nuts too."

Xander didn't respond. He had nothing more to say concerning Buffy. Anything more and he would have been yanked out of the city by the ears from Cato. He only said those words just for a chance; a hope that maybe the man knew her name. It was worth a try.

"Come on Xander. Snap out of it. Let's finish getting the food and drinks," Cato insisted.

Xander nodded, shaking himself out of his thoughts. "Okay."

Xander and Cato rushed through an ocean of pedestrians walking in the street, bringing many bags full of foods. Xander brought with him two bags of roasted meats, sausages, and fried fish, while Cato produced a bag containing olives and sweet meats.

"Excuse me! Coming through!" Xander said.

It was storming. The winds were cold and fast-paced. Xander looked up at the sky and could see black clouds illuminated by a dagger of lightning. Xander didn't mind the cold and raining weather. He had dealt with the same weather the day before. While keeping his eyes on the Romans around him, Xander mentally tried to picture where Cato had positioned his cart.

"This way!" Xander pointed in the left direction, his tone holding a sense of confidence.

Cato followed Xander reluctantly, having ideas of his own where his horses and cart were. "I don't think you are right Xander, but I will follow anyway."

Laughing, Xander nodded his head in agreement, understanding the possibility that he might be wrong. He did not care if he was wrong. All Xander cared about at the moment was food. Hunger was driving him but if he did in fact take a wrong turn, he realized he had two bags of food in his hands.

Xander shot a glance down the street and to his surprise, did not see the Colossus of Nero. "I think you're right, Cato." Xander turned to his left and saw a huge forum, with four large pillars holding the structure in place. "I don't recall ever seeing a forum like this." Xander tried to brighten their moods' by smiling, but gave up. He sighed. "I'd like to get back to the house before dark."

"Of course." Cato nodded. He glanced up at the sky and saw complete darkness encircling the black clouds. "But I think it is already dark."

Xander shook his head and lowered his eyes. "Poor Horses, I'm sure their scared."

"Oh, no need to worry about them. Those two are probably enjoying their time by themselves. They are usually separated," he returned gently. "My daughter and wife both have their favorites so they isolate them."

Lightning crackled directly above the two, followed by a tremor of thunder. Startled by the sounds, Xander snapped himself out of his patience. Xander tried to concentrate; but it was near impossible. The noise of the rain hitting the ground was deafening to his ears.

Xander shivered. "Why are we still standing here?"

"I don't know," Cato replied. "If you were not so insistent on buying all those foods, we would not have been here, in this storm."

"Oh, right!" Xander exclaimed in a harsh tone. "Where are the essentials, Cato, the bread, wine, and fruit?"

Cato took a deep breath. "I'm afraid we don't have time to blame each other here. Let's just back track and hope the rain stops."

"Cato can't you see the sky?" Xander groaned. "The rain hasn't even begun yet. It's preparing for a monster storm."

Cato frowned. "But we can hope can't we?"

"Yeah." Xander chuckled, thinking of the connotations of hope. "There's sure not a lot of hope for me to get back to Sunnydale," Xander thought. "Or finding Buffy." He gave Cato a tolerant look and stepped back. "Okay, lead the way, Cato."

Attired in a white, loose, rectangular-shaped toga, draped around his body, Cato looked like a human piece of wet toilet paper. Xander couldn't help but to laugh at the sight. His laugh soon ended however, because he noticed that he was carrying a lot of weight of water on his toga as well.

"Do you know how to get back?" Xander asked with interest.

Cato moved quickly back to the market area, maintaining a reasonable distance from Xander. "Yes. And next time, whenever you go into a city for the first time, don't play the guide. I've been here many times."

The frustrated sound of Cato's voice close to him nearly caused Xander to stumble over an edge of a piece of stone as they cornered into the market area. Xander diverted his eyes, cursing his foolishness for being so stubborn. He looked at the Romans around him. He did not see any women. There seemed to be a gathering of men beginning to assemble together, walking determinedly in the same direction Cato and Xander were walking. They had the look of anarchy in their eyes.

"Has there been any riots lately?" Xander asked, turning his head to look at Cato.

Cato gave Xander an arched, confused look. "Why do you ask?" He suddenly caught the view of the huddled men, stiffly marching behind them. "Shit!" Grasping Xander by the arm, he led Xander out of the middle of the streets, where the gang of men were, and into the side, out of the rain. "Those men are dangerous," he said, drawing the resisting Xander toward a wall. "Damn, I should've known."

Smart enough to recognize what was going on, Xander stared at the men and accepted the situation with a nod and a frustrated laugh. "Somebody's getting killed, I'm assuming." He leaned his head against the wall and sighed. He looked at Cato who was rummaging through his bag. "Hey, Cato, what are you doing?"

Cato pulled out a handful of olives. Not aware of what Xander had said, he began chewing on the olives.

"Hello! Cato?"

Between bites of the small olives, Cato looked up, smiling. "Sorry, I just wanted to have a little snack. These are good olives, you should try some."

Xander looked unimpressed. "No thanks."

"Not hungry, Xander?" Cato questioned, not even realizing that he and Xander were the only people in the street.

"Yes," Xander admitted. "I am. But I am disciplined enough to wait until we get home." He scanned the street. The street was empty. "Um... where did everyone go?"

Cato looked around them. It was a terrible shock. Nothing was there, nothing at all. Cato just stood staring in front of him down the long street. "It's amazing how a mob can attract everyone around it." He turned to Xander. "Romans are like flies. Whenever there's a crowd, they follow."

Xander eyed down the street and then back at Cato. "Shouldn't you be following?"

Cato shook his head impatiently. "I'm not sadistic enough to watch people being hung. Especially in this weather."

Xander quivered. Inside his mind, he heard Buffy's voice screaming, "Help me!" Emotionally disturbed, Xander glanced up quickly. He tilted his head to the side so he could see what was down the corner of the street. He saw what appeared to be hundreds of Romans yelling and chanting in a ritual-like manner. "I want to find out who they're hanging."

"No!" Cato cried out. "Like you said, we should go home."

"I changed my mind." Xander's fingers shook as he ran a hand through his wet hair. Looking at Cato, he slid an arm around his shoulder. "Take the bags with you and find the cart and go home. I'll walk there if I have to."

Cato's lashes sailed up, revealing the confusion of what Xander had just said. "What are you talking about? You don't want to get sick and die, do you?"

"It doesn't matter," Xander said. "I'll find my way back. I remember seeing the Coliseum on the entrance to the city, so trust me, I'll come back."

Cato sighed. "But why, son?"

"I have a feeling someone I know is being hanged," Xander said. "It's just a hunch, but I might as well find out."

"I see," Cato murmured, thinking to himself. His gaze sharpened as he looked back at Xander. "So what if you know someone who is getting hanged? What are you going to do? Save the person?"

"I don't know," Xander replied seriously. He stepped out to the middle of the road to lead the way for Cato. "Just walk with me until we reach the mob. Then continue on going to your home."

Watching him in stunned silence, Cato followed his lead. Seconds stretched into minutes. Then managing to grin, Cato gave in to the idea. "All right, Xander. Don't get hurt there. Those men want death and if the hanging cannot please them, they will find alternatives."

All the tension Xander felt with Cato when Acacia told him that he beat her had eased over on their trip to the city. Despite what Cato had done to his wife, Xander could not complain. He saw the similar side to Cato. His kind and gentle heart to him remained.

The street Xander and Cato were walking on began to narrow. With every step he took, Xander felt unfamiliarity with the surroundings and uneasiness began to rage inside him. "What am I doing?" Xander thought. The path began to thin out and then Xander saw to his amazement to his left, hundreds of people gathered behind a large, stretched-out scaffold. He wondered what drove the men to risk illness in the pouring rain just to watch criminals be hung.

Cato took Xander's hand and tightened his grip. "We'll be waiting for you, my friend."

Xander smiled. "Thank you." Reality suddenly hit Xander and he went into the sea of Romans, disappearing into the crowd.

With a sigh, Cato realized that maybe Xander would not return. He was more afraid of him not returning than if the food he carried in the bags fell out. The friendship he had created with Xander had settled and to him, became permanent. Going into the mob with a strong resolve, Cato wondered how Xander could go in there with such courage and resolve. "Maybe the Englishmen have heart after all." Cato turned his head from the scene, shaking his head, and went towards the direction of his horse-drawn cart.

Xander passed through the chattering crowd, hearing obscenities and words only that could be made by the common folk. He had not come far when a wall of Romans, standing still like statues were in his way, blocking him. Not far ahead of them was the scaffold, much bigger and enormous up close. On the scaffold were three men, dressed in armored shields, having evil looks on their faces.  
Everything appeared gloomy, for the raining weather had taken a turn for the worse, drenching all the people huddled before the scaffold.

"To think the bastards are in safe shelter now," grumbled one of the Romans.

Xander splashed along the ground to his right along a muddy track, trying to find a path to get very close to the scaffold. Xander's cloak was full of water, his feet were tired, and he constantly stumbled on the irregular stoned ground. "I hope I don't get sick," Xander thought, coughing out some cold air and sniffing in his agitated nose.

"How long do we have to wait!" one of the men standing hollered at the people on the scaffold.

Xander could not find an opening. Still he went on, never stopping his pace or taking much notice of the Romans eyes that were piercing into him. Somewhere beyond the black clouds, the sun must have went down, for it became dark as Xander was now behind the scaffold, meshed in with many Romans.

Xander wrapped the cloak around his body to cover himself from the downpour. He looked up at the sky and saw a moving moon appear behind the dark clouds. Its light illuminated onto the square and thankfully, onto the scaffold. Xander only cared what was on the scaffold. For some strange reason, he had a huge hunch Buffy would be there.

"Why young man would you come behind the scaffold?" an old man muttered to Xander.

"I'm sorry, old man. However I displeased you I deeply apologize," Xander said, his tone heavy with regret.

"Haha!" the old man chuckled. "You are not from around here, are ya, lad?"

His accent too closely resembling one of an Irish man to be tolerated, Xander lifted his chin and gave him a cold stare. "You find me funny that I'm an outsider while you yourself are from a foreign land, too?"

"Ah, lad, don't be so harsh, I just want some fun," he explained, much too smoothly.

Xander stared at the old man in astonishment. "Won't you be pleasured with the hangings? Wouldn't 'that' give you some fun?"

"Oh please, sir," the man answered. "I come from a land where people were weighted with stones to death. Hanging is but a lighter punishment. So no, I would not have any fun."

"Very well," Xander relented, stepping away from the man. Xander felt like educating the common man by saying that hanging rarely occurs instantaneously, but he walked away, ignoring him like he wasn't there.

Looks of blank eyes flashed across Xander's face as he encircled around the scaffold. He was approaching the left side of the scaffold, when a horn stopped him in place.

Not until a couple of minutes had passed that Xander noticed four people being led by as many as ten hooded men up to the scaffold.

Then like a home crowd would do to an away team, the crowds all around him took hostility towards the arrival of the criminals and screeched hateful curses at them. Xander squinted his eyes and covered his hears from the loud obscenities. Through his squinted eyes, Xander saw that a handful of people were throwing objects at the people being escorted, most of which were connecting with the escorts, not the criminals.

Xander stood glum and wet, while the criminals, only ten yards away went up the stairs onto the scaffold. Xander hurriedly moved towards where he was to begin with, but could not because the same escorts who had led the criminals were now acting as security guards, blocking those from switching standing positions.

"Curse these overt security measures!" Xander yelled.

Three very large escorts standing in front of him moved towards Xander. They were angry and had murderous looks on all their eyes. Even Xander, in spite of his kind nature, could not prevent the men from pursuing him.

"Shut yer mouth!" one of the men said. With the force of three men, they uplifted Xander with a push and he flew in the air, landing on the muddy ground.

Xander could not think of anything worse that was lying beside him; he felt both of his hands covered with a mold of mud. There in his hands, he found dark specimens in his palms. He frowned and tried to get up.

He was met with a forceful hand, pushing his head hard into the ground. "Say one more word and we'll add a fifth person to be hanged!" one of the men said.

Xander could see through his half-opened eyes the three men staring down at him. The common people were all laughing but he could not hear them completely. Both of his ears were smothered in mud.

He scratched out all of the mud in his ears and gripped the ground with his hands. Slowly, he got up to his feet. Just as he stood, he saw the four people lined up in front of a noose. One of the people to be hanged had flowing, long blonde hair.

"Buffy!" Xander was in his impatient mode again, rushing forth the same path that was blocked by the escorts. Again, Xander was thrown off his feet back to the ground. On the ground, he whimpered. He could hear laughing. Unlike before, this time it was from the escorts.

"Go home boy!" the escorts yelled in unison.

"Dammit," Xander hissed to himself as he picked himself up once again from the ground. He was at last beginning to doubt the possibility of saving Buffy. He retreated back to where he made around the scaffold, trying to get as close as he was to Buffy. He was going quickly, not looking back, but turning his head side to side so he could see if any of the escorts would clothesline him.

As he reached the right side of the scaffold, he saw three other men guarding the side from being breached. Xander begin to shiver and sob; for he was getting fewer to no options to try to save what he thought was Buffy. He was afraid.

"The four persons to be hanged tonight are as followed!" began a yell from one of the men with an armored shield. "Briseis of Gerasa, Meno of Sardis, Junius of Britannia, and Buffy of Sunnydale!"

The echoes of the peoples' screams beside the scaffold were still bouncing inside Xander's mind as he regained his senses. Jerking his head upward, he chanted with the people. "Hang them!"

Xander crept back along the crowd, surprised that there would be an open path to walk behind the scaffold. He continued to shout, trying to look normal like the other men. He heard Buffy's name among the names called and inside his head as he walked, he frantically tried to think of a plan.

Xander went stiff. He was desperate. He had to save Buffy from this horrible predicament. He must fight the other men to save her, if he had any strength left. He eyed the escorts on both sides of the scaffold. Their attention was at the Roman soldier, delivering the crimes of the convicted.

"Briseis will be hanged on the accounts of adultery!" the soldier shouted. The crowd cheered. Xander shivered with fear.

"What to do... How can I save her?" Xander thought. He diverted his eyes again towards the escorts, who were the only security he could see. To his luck, he realized that in the back, every guard was focused at the front.

Then suddenly Xander heard another crime being called out. "Meno on accounts of murder!" Xander could feel the crowd rumbling with excitement and cheers.

Soon, after all the crimes were called out, the escorts would pay attention again towards the people. He would not have a chance.

Moving as fast as his legs could carry him towards the left corner of the scaffold, he saw in the corner of his eye, an open hole underneath the scaffold. It looked like a manhole. Really it was probably used to drag out the dead from underneath the scaffold.

Xander blinked, and suddenly he realized he had a plan. As the trap door opened, and Buffy would fall through, Xander could catch her and hold her from being strangled. He noticed that there was enough room inside the bottom of the scaffold to stand and hold up a person.

Xander heard the third criminal's crime hollered out. Murder once again. Xander wondered what Buffy's crime was. She was a good person. "She had to be screwed over to be in this kind of position," he thought.

Across the scaffold, he saw that Buffy's trap door was at the far right side, so if he made it into the manhole unseen, he would have to go a long way to reach it. He wouldn't have much time.

He did not have time to think when finally Buffy's name was called out and while all of the people around the scaffold were focused on cheering and the criminals, Xander rushed quickly into the small hole. He was certain some would see him, but what he was hoping for was that they would not care so much about it.

Inside the scaffold, he could hear echoing of peoples' footsteps from above. He could also hear sobs from the criminals. If he could, Xander would want to save all four of them. He was not a believer in capital punishment. He lived in California after all. Xander crawled quickly through, passing a couple of trap doors above him.

While he crawled, he wondered if anyone was reporting what he or she saw. For all he knew, there could be some escorts crawling behind him with swords in their hands. Xander turned his head around and saw nothing. The enclosed, dark pit was empty, except him.

"All right, men, get the criminals in position!" a muffled voice said through the ceiling. Xander could really hear echoing footsteps this time. In fact, the wooden ceiling above him rumbled with dust from the weight of the steps.

Xander knew at the moment, the criminals' hands and legs were being secured, their eyes blindfolded, and a noose was being placed around their neck. As he passed the third trap door, he hoped that he would have enough time to reach the last trap door. He would run if he had to, but he knew it would not be prudent because it would add noises to what he assumed would be a silent audience once the people were hanged.

At last, after much crawling through the scaffold, Xander reached the fourth trap door. He crouched down beneath it, looking up directly at the trap door. His heart was fluttering with excitement. He could not believe he was in the position to save Buffy, let alone inside a scaffold. It was pure luck. "I have some luck in me after all," Xander thought. He rubbed his wet hands together, trying to get the mud off it in time to hold Buffy's legs and body up.

With a hundred eyes on each victim, Xander knew he couldn't overdo holding Buffy up. If he did, it would be obvious to the viewers that someone was helping her. Buffy had to choke slightly for the effect.

"On my count!" yelled the soldier. Xander heard moving footsteps above him, which he knew was Buffy's. He could hear faint crying up above. He recognized it to be Buffy's.

"Don't worry about Buffy, I'm here," Xander said softly. He stared intensely at the trap door, wiping his eyes to prepare for the dust and feet that were sure to come crashing down onto him.

"One..." The crowd chanted along with the soldier. "Two..."

There was a loud scream from Buffy above him. He could see her feet trying to shuffle out of the tied up position she was in.

"Now!" cried the soldier. "Open the trap doors!"

And off the trap door went at last, like rapid gunfire, her feet flew underneath the trap door to the point where Xander's face was. Xander dodged her feet and quickly caught the frame of her body before being choked to a stop.

Xander could hear Buffy groan. "What the hell..." she managed to say through choking.

As he held on to Buffy, Xander's eyes looked to the six feet hanging loose to his right. Some feet were moving, struggling to live out the next minute. He could see one pair of legs that had ceased to move. He closed his eyes and opened them upon looking back up at Buffy's body.

Buffy could not see who was holding her, but she did not care. As long as she was still breathing and not choking to death, she was satisfied. She squinted her eyes and closed them, trying to play the part of being dead.

As Xander listened to the talk of the armored men above the scaffold, he pieced together bits of information that two of the criminals were dead instantly. He was hoping that one of them would believe that Buffy would be dead so they could cut her loose. Dreary as he was, if the soldiers did not think they were dead, he could be holding Buffy for at a most of twenty minutes, if not longer. He could barely go five without letting go.

"Act dead," Xander murmured.

"Hang you bastards!" someone from the crowd shouted. Then right after the man shouted, there was a tremendous excitement among the crowd.

"They are dead!" the orator soldier announced.

Footsteps came forward to where Xander was holding Buffy at the trap door and he heard the raspy sound of a knife cutting against the rope. Before he knew it, Buffy had collapsed into Xander's arms; coughing out drops of blood from her mouth.

Xander remained holding onto Buffy for a couple of seconds. He simply enjoyed the pleasure of having her in his arms again.

"So pretty," Xander murmured. "Even with a blindfold on."

His words made Buffy tremble. The sudden warmth infusing her body had nothing to do with being alive. It was the familiar voice that shook her. The warmth grew hotter when Xander ran his fingertips across her cheeks.

"Buffy, it's me, Xander," he said simply.

A shiver ripped down her spine. Buffy couldn't understand the convulsions, but figured it was a mixture of the body of her friend and the repercussions of being hanged. It was almost scary. "Xander," she whispered. "Take the blindfold off."

Xander's eyes narrowed. His fingers began playing with her hair and he smiled at her fast heartbeat.

"Xander!" she said, laughing. "Please, let me see you."

"As you wish..." Xander began in a tone thick with emotion. Xander silenced Buffy by effectually leaning forward to brush his lips back and forth over hers and taking off the blindfold.

Staring at him with teary eyes, Buffy felt an extraordinary sensation she had never had before. She had a memory of him flash into her mind of him inside his apartment, stumbling clumsily backwards at her arrival. She smiled at him. "Hi."

Without being able to control it, Xander laughed. He was so involved with his laughing that he did not notice Buffy's glowing eyes staring at him.

Buffy's smile was soft. "You saved my life."

Xander sniffed. "That makes what... five or six times?"

Buffy giggled. With his eyes shaded by the shadows of inside the scaffold, Buffy gazed out over him to the three visible dead bodies lying on the ground. "I became friends with those guys. They didn't seem like criminals," she recollected, quashing down a shiver of envisioning their last breaths while being hung.

"What about you, Buffy? How did you become a criminal?" Xander asked.

Smiling at Xander's concern, Buffy slid off Xander's chest, stood up, and stretched her arms out wide. It was a beautiful thing, to stretch out her arms and breathe in the vile air inside the scaffold. She was alive.

Tired by the effects of being hung, Buffy laid back and closed her eyes. Fragments of memories of being in Rome filtered through her tired mind. "I came out of a land full of flowers. I didn't hesitate to find shelter, which I did." Buffy moved her head in discomfort. "And I told them how I got here. The people went nuts and they told some soldiers about it and I was sent to the city, without trial, to be hung on counts of witchcraft."

The fact that Buffy was caught because of telling her story burned his senses. He had barely stopped himself from doing the same thing. He could have been on the scaffold with Buffy and been hanged together.

Xander couldn't help himself from asking a burning question that was in his head. "Why, Buffy? You know people in this era are ignorant. They believe in all these gods and so forth. If you tell them you time-traveled here, of course they're going to want to kill you."

Buffy didn't understand Xander's outburst of concern, but it wasn't unusual to her; he really cared about her. He always did. Clinging to the reassuring strength of her body, Buffy got to her feet. "Thank you Xander for saving my life."

Xander closed his eyes, as if gathering the pleasure of hearing the words. Before he could open his eyes, he felt his arms tighten around Buffy's slender form.

"I'm glad I'm here with you Xander," she murmured. "I knew I would find you." She kissed him softly.

Pleasured, Xander opened his eyes and sighed. "We're not out of the woods yet, Buffy," he told her; completely unaware of what she was about to reveal to him.

"Yeah," she replied. "But I feel safe. For the first time, here, in this foreign land."

Xander's eyes examined her glowing face, and a smile curved his mouth. "I feel the same." Then they laughed. "I'm going to ask you again, Buffy. Who's bag did I take?" He paused, and then thought deeply. "My feeling is that it's Willow."

"You don't think its Giles?" Buffy asked, recalling Giles recent use of demon witchcraft.

Xander frowned. "No. I think Giles is smart enough not to bring a portal to another dimension and time period with him to a sleepover. That just doesn't make any sense to me."

Buffy nodded and briefly thought of the possibilities. "You know Xander, I think you're right. If we do miraculously come back to Sunnydale, let's make sure we punish Willow."

Shocked and somewhat dazed by Buffy's statement, Xander stared into Buffy's eyes with utter satisfaction of what she had said. "Yeah, she still needs to get punished for almost destroying the world."

"She did destroy the world. Our worlds that is."

Stirred strongly by her truthfulness, Xander raised his hand to her neck and drew her mouth to his.

The kiss was different from the one they had shared seconds before. No one was in control. Buffy's mouth moved over his in a hungry exploration. Her lips were hard with bridled passion. Xander's tongue tasted the sweetness of her mouth with everlasting tenderness.

Warmth once again filled Buffy's body, her senses aroused, clouding her mind. Feeling an urge to be close to him, she pushed him against the ground, her body aligning with his. Buffy's breast ached and seeking quick relief, she moved it against his chest.

Without direction, Xander glided his hand to the curve of her slight hips, his fingers grasping, digging into the smooth denim of her blue jeans. Trying to touch as much of her body as possible, Xander leaned his body forward, unaware of the discomfort of his back pains. His two falls caused by the men had finally taken effect.

Xander's hand came to her waist and he gently pushed her off of him. Buffy groaned in protest as her mouth lifted from his.

"Wait, Buffy," he whispered. "I can't do this right now. If we're going to do it, it has to be on a bed. My back can't take this."

"What happened?" Buffy asked in a voice hoarse with impatience.

Xander laughed and got to his feet. "Some bouncers threw me out on my back while I tried to save you," he said jokingly.

Unconvinced, Buffy frowned at him in agitation. "Is this a trick or are you serious?" she asked skeptically. "I mean, Xander, come on, I know you've wanted me for a while. You would have me with every broken bone of your body."

"Your right," Xander said. "But," he went on. "There's a family that took me in and they have a room just for me. We should try to get there."

Buffy might have begged him for sex, but she knew Xander was hurt. His hands holding onto his back made it more evident.

"But we have to wait here for a while, until everyone leaves," Buffy complained. "What are we to do?"

Xander stood up, feeling loose, free, and completely confident and unshaken by his past fears of being with Buffy. He laughed. "We can just smooch to pass the time. If you don't mind."

Buffy giggled. "Xander, I thought you were weird before, but I now I know that you're crazy!"

"Hey, a little kissing can't hurt my back can it?" He dipped his head, kissing Buffy spontaneously.

Their mouths mingled. Their tongues fought. Excitement ran through Buffy's veins. Expecting death then to kissing Xander was an all-time high for her. A sigh of longing for more whispered through her lips when he lifted his mouth from hers. Xander heard the sound and smiled.

"I'm guessing you wouldn't mind..." he said.

Buffy smiled. "We can do it for an hour, no longer," she told him. "And you can get the top, hurt little boy."

Xander laughed. "Hey, who saved your ass and chose not to tap it?" He asked, reaching for her hand.

She accepted his hand and pulled him closer. "I know. You're a gentlemen."

Xander was willingly tempted to do more than kiss Buffy, but he knew it would not feel like he had desired it to be. He would focus more on his back than on Buffy and it would end up a terrible experience.

"One hour, Xander," she reminded him, leaning back against the ground.

"What if their not gone within an hour?" he asked.

Buffy pushed her bottom lip out in an overstatement. "I just said an hour to set a limit. We don't want to be kissing for an eternity do we?"

Xander knelt beside Buffy, clutching his back with his left arm. "What's the problem with that?" Knowing that their time was limited, Xander didn't hesitate and took the moment to kiss her senseless.


	4. Awakenings

"This sounds so... awkward and strange," Giles said. "And hardly believable."

He gingerly lay back against the dining chair and cleaned his glasses with a white cloth. Everything that Brittany had told him ran into his head. It was near midnight, and he hadn't a clue to whose bag it was and what was in it. Giles felt inclined to believe that Willow had a hand in the portal.

"Brittany, dear, what you have told me is a lot to take in." Brittany took a seat across from Giles, who was on the opposite side of the table. "And dare I say, something for me to do for once."

"So you're happy there gone?" Brittany shuddered. For a half an hour she had gave all the details to Giles at Xander's empty apartment and he had hung onto each word she had said. It was surprising to hear him all of a sudden make a joke out of the situation.

"I am confident we can get them back, that's all." Giles smiled and wondered if he lightened up her dull mood.

"I'm certain that bitch Willow had something to do with this," Brittany said. "I already left ten messages on her answering machine. She better respond soon or I'm making a visit to her house."

Giles groaned. Even though he had a feeling it was Willow, he didn't like her attitude and her blanket accusations against Willow. "We don't know yet, Brittany. For all we know, it could be somebody else besides all those that brought bags. Besides, you weren't even at her house."

He could see the anger in Brittany's face. "I checked the other bag that wasn't opened. It was Xander's. You clearly do not have anything to do with their disappearance and Faith, well that's not her thing. I have every right to accuse Willow."

"How did you end up at Xander's anyway?"

Brittany's face turned red. "I followed him from Buffy's after he hung up without saying 'bye' to me on the phone. I thought something was wrong. You know, we live in Sunnydale, anything can go wrong."

"Hmmm." Giles put his glasses back on after chewing on the ends. He tried to piece together the mystery of what happened the night before. "And Buffy... What was she doing there again?"

"She felt it was the right time to drop in and give Xander his bag. What a great friend," she laughed mockingly. "Yet again, I don't know why Xander let Buffy in this apartment anyway, realizing that I was asleep in his bed!"

Despite Giles' desire to know every single detail, the portal and its origins were dominating his thoughts. His stomach curled in a manner that had nothing to do with all the liquor he drank down that evening. "I need some rest. Can we discuss this tomorrow morning?"

"What are you crazy? Their life depends on us and they can be near death right now! We have to try to save them as soon as possible! You know-"

"Brittany." Giles met the young girls' eyes. "Let's discuss this tomorrow morning. If you had called me earlier we could have had more time to elaborate."

"Sorry, I was too busy being unconscious." Brittany studied Giles. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Yes. I drank too much tonight and I will not have the brain power to delve into this..." Giles wrinkled his nose. "But if you can, find Willow. I don't care if she doesn't respond to your messages. Go to her house. Break in if possible. She could be hiding something."

Brittany laughed. "Wow, we don't know yet, huh?"

"We don't." Giles drew a deep breath. "But I've known Willow for a while and she usually does not spend her Saturday nights with someone. It's usually herself. If she's not answering her phone, something could be wrong."

Brittany sighed. She would have to wait another day to get help from Giles. "Okay, I'll do that Giles. Get some rest, ok? Come back to this apartment in the morning. I don't care what time."

At once, Giles slid off the dining chair and headed towards the door. His steps seemed to be slightly slanted.

Brittany started after him, and then stopped. "You sure you can drive home safely, Giles?"

Giles cast Brittany a grudging smile and followed out the door.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Brittany thought for a moment. Abruptly, she remembered the feeling of the remarkable sensation of Xander's lips on hers. The amazing warmth of his body on hers. The aching desire for more as he clung to her in his arms. She wanted Xander desperately.

She smiled with the memory of how lovely his actions had been towards her and the realization that what she had with him was special. "I'll find you Xander. And find the culprit that sent you to the unknown."

"You were very good, Xander." Buffy rested her chin on Xander's chest and gazed up at him. Starlight pierced through the manhole at the end of the inner scaffold, casting a luminous glow on her face and reflection on her eyes. "I was quite impressed."

Xander tried to not to seem overly satisfied. "Thank you. There's nobody I'd rather be with than you."

Buffy licked her lips and smiled thoughtfully. "The same." Without thinking, she leaned forward and lightly brushed her lips against his. "Mmm..."

Xander gently pushed Buffy upward to break the kiss. He tried to catch his breath and stared up. "Why'd you do that?" he asked. He was exhausted after hours of kissing.

"I'm not sure, it was one of those instincts of mine..."

For an endless moment, Xander could do nothing but stare into her eyes. And to his surprise, he saw fear.

"Buffy... what's wrong? You look frightened..." Xander resisted the urge to run a hand through her hair and waited for her response.

"Well we are in a different time period," she laughed awkwardly. "I wonder if this will be our last moment together before we might get separated again."

"We can hope can't we?" Xander said with a grin.

She narrowed her eyes and studied him. "You're enjoying this far too much."

"No I'm not." His voice was readable and Buffy didn't trust him for a moment. "Yeah I am, but evidently I've had a much better experience here than you."

"Same with me." Her voice was low and echoed deep inside her. "Just the problem that I was sent off to the city to be hanged. But yeah, I can see how you're looking at the bright side."

He shrugged. "Who knows? Giles could be working his tail off to find a way to get us back. We know he can come through."

Buffy smirked. "But in the meantime, we're stuck here-" she looked around the scaffold. "Of all places."

"We should leave."

"No," Buffy pouted. "I'm too tired to walk. How far is it?"

Xander kissed her pouting mouth. "Not too far," he whispered with warning, "If we stay here much longer, I guarantee we will be caught." He half rose, and brushed a stray curl from her forehead. "It's amazing. You've been through hell and you still look beautiful."

Color flooded her cheeks. He moved his hand over to her and pulled her to her feet. "Xander, please. I'm the slayer," she teased as he drew her up from the ground. "Look at your face! We must have had a brawl in the ground," she laughed.

The sincerity in her voice didn't surprise him. She was every inch a beautiful, elegant woman. In another era, he could imagine her being a perfect queen.

She stood up. Her hand slowly slid across his mudded cheeks, trying to wipe away the mess on his face. She nearly stopped, thinking the situation had become too awkward for them. An unsettling silence filled the lengthy scaffold. Xander expected the hand circling his cheeks to continue, but it didn't.

Finally, she spoke. "I don't know how you did it, Xander. Or how you knew where I was... but thank you, thank you so much."

Xander stroked Buffy's ears, thinking out loud. "I swear I imagined you being here. I don't know what it was, a premonition or something. It was probably a subconscious thing, but I wouldn't be surprised if it just wasn't luck."

They stared at each other for a moment, a silent test of wills. The soft glint of her amber eyes was backed by the rigidity of her lips. Her hair had clung to her spine in a slight wave. Hours on the ground had disheveled her hair, making her devilishly sexy.

"Lucky me," Xander said with a touch of irony. She detected a hint of sarcasm in his voice that she had been so accustomed to.

Her response was a tight frown that wrinkled her petite nose. Her lips parted as if she was about to tell him that he was hilarious. Her mouth fascinated Xander so much that he decided not to wait for what she would have to say.

At the exact moment Xander leaned in to kiss Buffy, peoples' voices crept underneath the manhole. The voices were tired and full of frustration.

Xander immediately stood in a militant stance and looked back quickly at Buffy with a confused look on his face. "What the hell?"

Buffy wiped off the mud on her jeans and reached across and took Xander's hand. "Whoever they are, you know we can take them."

He leaned closer, and his eyes boldly skimmed over her, the meaning of his gaze obvious. "Lets find out who they are."

Xander's voice showed a touch of nervousness, but Buffy could notice that he was not shaken by the situation. Buffy realized that she would be frightened out of her wits if he was not with her. It was his masculine presence that gave her confidence.

A new sensation spread in the pit of her stomach. Slowly, totally against her will, a touch of pleasure vibrated through her, and she let out her breath in a weak sigh.

"I'll follow you, Xander," she said, her breath warm against his ear.

"This is the first time I've ever heard those words," he whispered, his voice showing a hint of shyness.

It took a second for the word "first" to register through her mind. He was totally right. She had always been the boss of Xander when it came to dangerous situations. She had never given him a chance to break out of his shell. "But why is he acting like Angel all of a sudden?" Buffy thought to herself.

She found herself wanting to know more of Xander, not just his life, but know what he thought about things in his life such as his friends and even his girlfriend, Brittany. He obviously didn't seem to hesitate to cheat on his girlfriend, as he would've in Sunnydale. They were in a foreign time period, after all. Where anything goes.

Xander slowly maneuvered his way through the dead bodies and puddles. Buffy stood back and waited, in a reverie of thinking.

Ordinarily, Xander would have been in Buffy's position. In the back. But his life-changing experience in Rome had taught him a bitter lesson. The only way to survive is to strive forward and not ever look back.

Somewhere along the way, Xander turned and saw Buffy staring at him from a distance. The picture of her at first startled Xander. She looked frail, resembling a ghost.

"Don't worry, Buffy," Xander told her. "I'm just going to take a peek, that's all."

"I'm not Xander, but thank you." She didn't know what to say exactly. There was some hesitation in their relationship that she didn't know how to handle. It had been so fast and quick that she did not have time to contemplate what was truly going on. "I'll be right behind you."

Xander began walking down towards the manhole where just hours ago he had snuck in undetected. The sharp, insistent voices from outside interrupted his thoughts but the sounds of their voices eased him. They were not rugged or manly like he had anticipated. They were the voices of friends, who did not seem militant in any way.

When he reached the manhole, he peered out through it. Through the manhole, Xander watched two men lying against a wall laughing and carrying on a conversation. Like most people, laughter was contagious to him and he grinned at the sight. His smile wasn't one of joy but of satisfaction. He turned back into the scaffold and collided with a small, broad barrier of muscle and recognized Buffy's slim body as he focused on her.

"Watch it, Xander. You don't want to scream, now." Buffy noticed the relaxed, authentic smile that lit up his face, making him look handsome. She looked away, thrilled so much at the sight of his face she was getting.

Xander smiled at Buffy's spontaneous reaction. "Is there still mud on my face?"

She smiled, detecting his sarcasm. Once again, it seemed perfect, which was strange to Buffy after all the years she had known him. "No, I wiped it off, silly."

A quiver of excitement built inside Xander's chest, the way it always did when Buffy was flirting with him. "Well, it seems that the talkers are just friendly homeless guys."

She leaned over his shoulder to see. "Them," she replied, pointing at the men.

Xander scowled, lowering his eyebrows in mock distaste as he looked at her. "We have to sneak out, ya know, without those bums seeing us." Buffy laughed.

The aroma of the wet ground and filthy streets filled both of their nostrils. It was a powerful and foreign scent, something the two had never been subjected to. "That smells good..." Buffy whispered softly. The intimacy in her voice made Xander's fingers tremble.

He nodded. "Whatever it is, I wish it was a food." The stricken expression that suddenly came over Buffy's face alarmed him. "What is it, Buff?"

"Excuse me, Xander." Buffy said from behind the manhole. "Let me lead the way this time."

A prickle of unease trickled down Xander's spine. "What?"

Buffy didn't wait to reply to Xander's question and went through the manhole and across the street to the shadows. Xander was left alone in the scaffold. "Damn Buffy." He stared at the two men, who were chatting happily together. He leaned his head against the top of the manhole and closed his eyes. Some part of him wanted to remain in the scaffold with Buffy and call her back over, but he couldn't. "She did the right thing," he thought. Xander breathed a prayer and went out of the manhole, crossing the muddy ground. His feet loudly splashed against the ground.

"Huh? What was that!" a curious voice called out. Xander turned his back to see who had said it. Both of the men, who were looking in a different direction at the scaffold, suddenly caught his gaze.

"What the hell? Who the hell are you!" called out one of the men.

"Ah... I don't know," he called back. He turned his head to see where Buffy had went and just barely caught her running around a corner where he and Cato were talking earlier that night. Xander hesitated a second, hoping Buffy would turn back around and see if he was coming. A couple seconds passed, and it remained silent.

A gloomy man got to his feet and staggered slightly across the ground. "Hey you, you wait there!"

Ignoring him, Xander continued to stare down the corner. He took a deep breath and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Buffy! Other way! Come on, these guys aren't going to do anything!"

In a flash, Buffy fled back around the corner towards Xander and avoided his probing eyes, concentrating solely on running. She ran over beside him and stopped, slightly out of breath. "Sorry, Xander. I expected you to follow me as soon as I ran out."

A jagged flash of light distracted them. Both turned and saw that the man, who had been yelling at Xander, had a sword braced along his arm. He was probably an off-duty soldier.

She stood beside Xander, gazing down the man charging at them with a sword. She was stunned at the scene. "Xander, what's going on?"

"No time to talk, let's run." He moved quickly to Buffy and grabbed her arm, initiating her to move her feet. It was their only option since both were exhausted from their stay on the ground and would not have the energy to fight off the man.

Buffy hesitated a second, realizing the grave danger she was in. She had to follow Xander. It was her only hope.

Buffy winced as he dragged her to start running. She did and began to burn up the ground with her shoes. She didn't want to be running but judged by what the man looked like; he was in better shape than she was. It wouldn't hurt to get a head start in what could be a footrace.

Buffy didn't expect anyone to speak to her and jumped when she heard the man's voice right behind her. "Hey! You corpse thieves! Get back here!" Buffy turned and saw that the man was running full speed directly at her. Turning upward to look at Xander, she was immediately surprised by his quick speed. She watched him glide forward and distance himself from her. "Wow, Xander, you're in better shape than I thought," she said, trying to keep her mind off the man chasing her with a sword.

"Nah, I'm just used to running away from danger," he said

She laughed. "Good, because I have a feeling this won't be the first time we'll be in danger."

"You hateful, immoral people without consciences!" the man once again yelled. Buffy could tell now that he was only yelling to make up for his lagging speed. He wanted them to stop so he could capture them because his feet alone could not do the job.

They crossed a corner that extended down into a long, narrow street. It allowed them to turn and use the corner to have an unobstructed view of what was transpiring behind them. Xander held out his hand for Buffy and she took it and stepped in behind the wall. Xander frowned, noticing Buffy's dizzy and slightly nauseating look on her face.

"Are you okay, Buffy?"

It took Buffy all her strength to breathe out air from her lungs. "It must be something I ate before being hung."

"The man who took me in lives just outside the city over there. I'll bet we can make it in less than five minutes." Gritting his teeth, he slid off some of his toga and ripped it. He then wrapped it around her neck lightly.

She gave him a deep smile. The tightness in Buffy's throat relaxed long enough for her to say, "Thanks, Xander." She tried to smile again, but couldn't. She coughed violently. She ran her hand through his tangled hair. "Let's find that house, Xander. I'm about to pass out."

He turned his head and smiled. "Okay." He lifted her off the ground and carried her a couple of feet across the ground.

She buried her face into his chest. She felt his hands working to find a comfortable spot to carry her. They fell to her buttocks. He cupped them with his hands and gazed into her eyes.

"It's nice playing the part of a manly hero for once..."

She met his eyes and read the desire that fired them. He was not going to let his masculine confidence go. "You're doing a good job."

"Buffy," he breathed. He moved one of his hands to her spine and could now easily hold her without any problems. "I don't know if saving you from being hung was that great of a job. I mean you still look like you're whiplashed."

She shivered from the cold that was filling her body. She laid her head back and closed her eyes. She lay peacefully there, enjoying the steady beat of his heart next to her ear. "It's okay," she whispered. "Just wake me up when we're there."

"That... I will." He dropped his eyes down to her breasts. "Wow."

"Hmm?"

He was surprised to find out that he had said what was on his mind. "Go to sleep," he said softly. He nuzzled her ear and continued walking down the lonely street. He could finally see the Coliseum in front of him. He was on the right path towards Cato's home. His serious-stricken face seemed to soften. "Maybe this was a blessing," he thought to himself. He strolled down the street semi-quickly, trying to vainly absorb all the sights in and make it to Cato's speedily at the same time.

Brittany headed straight to Willow's house after leaving Xander's apartment. She doubted very much that Willow was home, but she hoped that she would be nonetheless. "I can't believe this," she told herself as she made the drive up her street. "Why can't I just let it go!" Even as she thought of the words, she realized she would have no peace until she learned the truth of whose portal it was that sent Buffy and Xander away. "Damn bitch," she thought of Willow as she drove. "I swear if she is behind this..."

It had been an emotionally stressful day. As she sat staring out through the car, while soft rock played softly from the radio, she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. If she had not fallen asleep in Xander's bed, she would have been there with Xander to at least prevent or go with him in his disappearance.

More defeating than that, she had failed in winning Xander's love. She knew that in the past, Xander had feelings for Buffy. She realized that if Buffy and Xander were in the same place, that Xander would not hesitate to pounce on Buffy. She did not feel her love with him was strong enough for him to maintain his fidelity.

She parked her car on the side of the road. She was staring into the lighted house of the Rosenberg's. She was fully aware that Willow lived with her parents but she relied on the hope that her parents would not be home on a Saturday night. Just so her rage could be amplified to its fullest extent.

"She better be home." She lowered her hand to the driver's door handle and opened it. As she got out, she could see a dark shadow looking out from a 2nd floor window. She was briefly startled, but just as she looked up to see a clear view of the window, the dark shadow was gone. She breathed slowly. "I guess she is here."

She walked up the steps leading to her house, not taking her eyes off the window. The lights were still on in the room that she had seen the shadow. She figured the shadow was Willow's and that it was her room. She was not absolutely certain.

The moon cast a huge spotlight on the walkway to the front door. Brittany hustled a bit so she could reach the dark shadows near the door without being seen. If the shadow looked out again, it would clearly know who was coming up to the house. "Willow might tell her parents or decide not to answer the door if her parents aren't home," Brittany thought.

Brittany went to the door and reluctantly knocked and waited until she could hear Willow's voice, "Come in," to open the door. "Hold on! I'll be right down!"

Brittany swung the door wide open, but didn't go in. She could see Willow stepping down the stairs across the threshold to the door. Her greeting was spontaneous and genuine. "Hey Brittany! Why are you here so late?"

Her joyful greeting had surprised Brittany. She figured that she would not bother to let her in at all. "I don't know. I just wanted to talk." Brittany looked beyond Willow's shoulder. "Is there anyone else home?"

"Nope." Willow withdrew to another room, leaving Brittany alone for a second.

Brittany stood near the door, thinking of what she would do if Willow did have a hand in Xander and Buffy's disappearance. It had to be her bag or Faith's bag. She could see that her clothes were totally black, with low-heeled suede boots and a wool sweater. She fit in perfectly with the dark, ominous surroundings.

Willow came back into view with a hangar and took Brittany's coat. She paused for a second to put the coat on the hangar and then motioned Brittany upstairs.

Brittany searched the house for any signs of witchcraft. She saw none. The house was perfectly normal.

As though reading her mind, Willow said, "Nothing special about the house. Come on, come up to my room."

Brittany stepped into the house slowly and followed Willow upstairs. She saw Willow's direction of her gaze towards a closed door and could tell that it was the same room she had seen when she walked out of the car and saw the dark shadowy figure. It was strange. Brittany remembered that when she saw the shadow, it was almost like it came out before she had parked her car. It was like she was expecting her.

"This is my room," Willow said at the opening of the door. "Nothing special as you might imagine."

Brittany's wistful gaze drifted around the room. The walls didn't offer much to please the eyes, just stretched painted colors of yellow and orange that seemed to blur together as one. She watched a hamster run around in its cage and stop at the end of one side. The landscaping around the cage looked to be more worked on than Willow's room itself.

"Nice hamster." She stepped around her bed to take a closer look at the cage.

"Thanks for stopping by, Brittany."

"No problem. I needed to talk to you anyway, Willow."

"Oh, ok."

"Seen Buffy or Xander lately?"

Willow shook her head. "No. Why do you ask?"

Brittany was pleased. Her analyzing into her words convincingly told her that she was hiding something.

"Before we talk about this," Brittany said. "Tell me what you're thinking right now."

Her delightful smile faded. "I don't know. You're starting to scare me..." She started to back onto her bed, under the intensive gaze from Brittany. "I'm thinking that you're suspecting me of something..."

"That's right, Willow, I am. I hate to tell you this but Buffy and Xander are missing and you're the prime suspect."

"What! How am I the prime suspect? How am I a suspect at all?"

"Don't play games with me, Willow." She leaned forward and wagged her finger towards her. "I talked with Giles today and I know that, by eliminating Faith because she's not into portals and such, it leaves you, just you, as the person who caused their disappearance. Are you missing your bag?"

Willow assumed an innocent pose. She reached out underneath the bed and pulled out a black bag. "That's my bag right there. It's been there since I came back from the sleepover."

Brittany watched Willow wet her lips anxiously before asking, "Can I see what's in it?"

"I guess." Willow laughed weakly and spread her arms to her side.

"I hope I don't pass out again," Brittany thought to herself.

She searched through the bag and only found clothes. She was happy to know that there was nothing suspicious in it but was also disappointed that there was nothing to put blame on Willow.

"You can't be serious."

Willow stood up and moved towards the door. "I'm sorry, but there's a big misunderstanding, here!" She gave Brittany her darkest, most fearsome frown, the one that she usually used when performing spells. Brittany had never seen it before. "You're telling me that Buffy and Xander are missing, my two best friends that I've known since high school and you're also telling me I'm the reason why their missing! Who do you think you are?"

"I'm Xander's boyfriend," she said thickly. "Why don't you just admit it Willow and save me the time?"

Stricken, Willow pointed her finger at the black bag on the floor. The innocence pressed on her so hard like a vise.

Brittany, sensing her anxiety, rushed to say, "Willow, come on... It's not Giles and it's not Faith. That bag is not going to convince me that you're innocent."

"Then what will!"

Brittany looked away because she knew it was a question that she herself would find trouble answering truthfully. "Willow... if you got your bag and so did Giles... it makes perfect sense that Xander must have taken Faith's. But I cannot see Faith doing this... Can you?"

Willow's eyes snapped up at hers. "Yes. I can see anybody doing this except me. Why would I put something in a bag that could potentially harm someone? Let alone at a sleepover!"

Brittany's thin, straight body quivered like a bowstring just plucked. "You can deny it now, but Giles and I are going to pin some information on you, Willow, and you won't be able to talk your way out of it when that day comes... you bitch."

"Get out, Brittany." Willow scooted from the door and grabbed her arm. "I'll drag you out if I have to..."

Suddenly a wave of anger rushed through Brittany. She slapped Willow hard across the face. Once she started, she couldn't stop. She continued beating Willow with her palms until Willow was rolling and aching on the floor. "You're going to pay Willow. Me and Giles will find a punishment suitable for you..."

"Why, Brittany? Why do you think its me!"

"It's good to hear you crying for a change," Brittany commented, smiling down at her. "I'd like to stick around and make you feel better, but I gotta go." She placed her hands on Willow's head. Willow pushed her away.

"You have no right..." she said as streams of tears flowed down her face.

Brittany glanced away. "I'll see you in the near future, Willow. Don't ever lay a hand on me again, you understand?"

"Screw you!" she screamed.

Brittany left the room feeling greatly disturbed. In spite of what she wanted to get accomplished, she had left getting nothing out of it. She regretted that. What disturbed her the most was that she had physically beaten Willow.

She liked to have things go her way. When they didn't move fast enough, she would make sure it would. Brittany opened and slammed the front door shut with a decisive thud.

For the first time, Brittany pitied Willow, whose plea for innocence seemed too real to be faked. Before she entered her house, she had no doubt that Willow was behind their disappearance. Now she had no clue. She wouldn't be satisfied until she met with Faith and saw if she had the right bag.

She returned to her car and began to drive aimlessly around the neighborhood. She made sure she would not take the interstate and opted to take the back roads of the city. The choice helped her; it gave her time to think.

Xander had been quickly walking through the city carrying Buffy in his arms and just as he reached Cato's home he was finally being torn with fatigue. So far he calculated that he must have walked at least three miles and in that time, had successfully managed to keep Buffy asleep.

He stopped to rest fifty yards away from Cato's household. Gleaming beyond the house was a glorious orange glow that radiated and poured along the fields its sunny light. Xander stood quietly, thoughtfully, while Buffy gently began to wake up from her sleep.

Gazing up, Buffy saw Xander. Xander knew just then that the best sight was not the sunrise in front of him but the radiant image of Buffy's face before him.

Buffy was smiling. Her eyes were wide and sparkling with a wondrous glow. She looked just as she had the first time he saw her- as a sophomore in high school- when he picked up the books that she had dropped in the hallway. Her long, dark lashes, petite, curved mouth, and her nose made her seem perfectly angelic.

"Do you like the view?" Xander's question diverted himself from his admiration to Buffy as he inclined his head to take in the broad expanse of the garden. "Man, it smells good in the morning."

Buffy glanced around at the flowerbeds, baskets, urns, and many other varieties of plants surrounding the small household. Most of the flowers bloomed with strength, in an ecstasy of colors. The hanging green ferns growing on the outside of the house perfectly aligned with the framework of the house and stretched out onto the grass where Xander was standing. It was a magical sight.

She yawned. "You must've walked a while, huh Xand?"

Xander nodded his head. "Yes, I did. That's not important though. Isn't that beautiful? I mean we never see anything like that in Sunnydale."

Buffy slipped her hands behind Xander's shoulders and placed her small, strong hands on his back. He tingled at her touch and he wanted to let out a sigh that would show how much of an effect it had on him. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders and his hands remained on her bottom until she slid off his grasp, slipping out of his arms. She mumbled a "thank you" before raising her eyes at him.

"No problem," Xander's words were sincere, but the tired look he gave Buffy revealed that it was a small problem carrying her the long distance. She saw his eyes move down tiredly from her eyes to her chest. She wished that he could have gotten the amount of sleep she had. She had a mad desire to reach for him and carry him into the house just as he had done for miles, but she relented.

She blushed a deep peach color and Xander noticeably saw her discomfort. "Hey... It's not like I haven't carried you before."

She could see Xander's expression become growingly tired. The sooner he was on a bed, the better. She couldn't let Xander's exhausted state continue.

She stared around at the scenery beside her and followed with her eyes a butterfly that was flying between them. "You're right Xander. This place is beautiful." She looked at Xander anxiously. "Come on, Xander. Let's go inside the house. You need to get some sleep."

Xander looked at his friend reflectively. "What is this? A role reversal or something?" He shook his head, smiling. "I guess I'm playing the tired one this time, huh? You're not going to carry me inside are you?"

Both burst out laughing, causing the butterfly to scatter away from the noise. Standing across from each other, both of them turned to face Cato moving into their view. He veered off from the direction towards Buffy and went towards Xander. Before he knew it, Cato had put Xander into a hug.

"I'm glad to see you again, friend," Cato muttered softly for the benefit of Xander's ears alone. Xander glanced at him awkwardly, taken a little back by Cato's kindness.

"Thanks Cato. You needn't worry too much about me." He laughed. "You should be greeting your new guest."

"New guest?" The question was asked so naively that Buffy turned to Cato in bewilderment. Obviously the question was made to make Buffy feel comfortable, considering he had to have seen her walking to Xander. To cover his slight mistake, he added, "Oh, the new guest!"

"She's over there," Xander persisted.

Cato strolled over to Buffy with reluctance and greeted Buffy with a shy, heart-warming smile.

"I usually don't get guests this beautiful. Would you like to come in, my lady?"

"Yes." She smiled back. "That sounds good." She sounded composed, but there were some butterflies in her stomach. The last time she was a guest she was sent to the city to be hung.

Xander sniffed in the delicate daffodils and raised his eyes to Buffy's. He was surprised to see her looking at him closely. The expression on her face was odd and Xander's couldn't really quite recognize the emotion there, but it was immediately replaced by Cato's face that turned towards his.

"You should come in, Xander." Cato leaned forward and whispered, "Is she taken?"

In disgust covered with a touch of humor he swore, "For god's sake, Cato."

Cato looked at Xander and then at Buffy, shook his head in disbelief, and walked towards his house.

With a muttered oath, Xander frowned. "Jackass." He examined Buffy who stood watching Cato walk into the house. He acted instinctively and walked towards Buffy. He took her hand. "He's a nice guy."

"I hope so," she mumbled. She noticed Xander's teeth were startling white and in a smile. "What's so funny?"

Xander's eyes lowered to her chest and lingered there for agonizing moments while Buffy flushed hotly. She fought letting him see her love so obviously revealed to him, but her senses were helpless with his eyes admiring her body.

"Ah, I'm going to follow Cato into the house," she said uncomfortably, as she left his side, walking quickly towards the entrance.

"Damn, what'd I do?" He asked himself. He followed Buffy to the door and tried to keep up with her.

They entered the house and started down the cross corridor linking the dining hall and living room with the bedroom and guestroom chambers. "You know anything about this empire that we should know?" Buffy asked Cato as she followed. "Like anything about what's the life expectancy here?"

Cato thought for a moment. "I've never really read anything about it. Why do you ask?"

Buffy hesitated; she was about to mention life in Sunnydale but she paused. "Never mind. I was just wondering."

Cato shrugged. "There are major differences in the life span in the city and in the country, where we are," he pointed out. "If you guys were to say, live in the city, there's a higher probability of obtaining a disease than in the country."

Xander thought about that. It made sense, he knew. The city, judged by what he had seen, was not very sanitary or cleaned up as much as the country on the outskirts of the city. But the probability did not make him feel any safer. The country was not that much bulletproof either. He remembered what Acacia had said about medicine. If you lived out in the country and had a problem, you would be in trouble.

"So what year is it, Xander? Do you know?" Buffy asked softly to Xander so Cato would not hear.

"Promise not to be scared," he emphasized. He did not know how she would react. He knew Buffy was higher than him on an emotional level.

She nodded. "Promise."

"193," he said, frowning with concentration. "Cato told me that yesterday at breakfast."

Buffy glanced around, trying to swallow down the enormity of what Xander had just told her. They had reached Xander's bedroom. It was nearly empty, with only Acacia standing around one of the dressers, cleaning up the clothes, too far away for her to eavesdrop.

"Sorry if we do not have enough bedrooms," Cato said, lowering his voice. "While you were gone, Acacia told me that there were rumors of a strange disease going around in the city. For my daughter's sake, I did not know what other conclusion but to leave your friend with your room, Xander."

Xander was silent. "Any comments?" Cato prompted him.

He shrugged. "Any decision you make is fine with me, Cato," he said. "I really can't comment one way or another on what you said. If there is a disease going around, you got to do what you got to do, you know. But... I'd have to say that I was with Buffy last night and she seemed very healthy to me. I mean... everything about her was healthy."

Buffy threw him a dirty look. "Will you quit it, Xander?"

"What?" Xander asked, not seeing how Buffy could not get his humor.

"I think you guys will do fine in the same bedroom together," Cato assured her. "Xander you said you guys spent the night together. Where?"

"I don't think he needs to explain himself," Buffy said, frowning. She swiveled Xander's shoulder around to face her, tugging on it gently to bring him into the room. She eyed Cato. "Can we get some privacy, here... um...?"

"Cato," he said.

"Yeah, Cato. Me and Xander are tired and really need some sleep," Buffy told him.

It was clear from Cato's face that he didn't want to push any of Buffy's buttons because of her agitation. He nodded without comment. "Okay." He turned to Acacia. "Acacia, darling, let's leave our guests to themselves. They need to sleep."

Acacia stepped forward towards the door, catching Xander's eye as she passed and nodding towards the open doorway. Clearly, she was in a much better mood than what Xander had last seen. Cato's feet made loud angered footsteps on the marble ground as he followed Acacia out of the room.

Cato slid through the door behind them, and for a long moment they just stared at each other. Buffy broke the silence first. "You need sleep, Xander," she said softly. "You look like a mess. The more you spend awake, the more time you will lose energy. You understand, right?"

"Yes, I do understand," Xander retorted, trying hard to hold onto his temper. The tiredness that he'd felt earlier when talking to Buffy was back, circulating hard in his stomach. Fear of going to sleep and the fear of waking up in the same place he carried. Not in Sunnydale... "It's not like I'm dying of a disease, why do you care so much?"

"Care so much?" She returned his direct gaze. "So you want me to let you be an insomniac?"

"So that's what you're caring about? Me being an insomniac?" he asked. He could see that she was affected by his harshness and his words, and his expression softened. He reached out and took her hand.

"Look I'm sorry Buffy. I just don't want to go to sleep that's all," he said. "I think you know what I mean when I say that. Waking up here is something I'm not used to..." As he spoke he slowly drew her closer.

Buffy didn't resist his gentle pull. Now, as she looked at him, she thought he had never seemed more handsome, but she didn't like his reasoning. "Well, you're going to have to get used to it. We're stuck here, Xander, for a while," she said in a whisper.

"Am I saying it's a bad thing?" he asked, teasing.

Cato stuck his head out from the door and watched them unnoticed.

"No," she whispered. "But you're implying that it is."

"Okay, psychologist," he began. "I-"

But then he stopped, and he suddenly found himself kissing her, pulling her closer than ever before. It seemed normal, like it was back in the scaffold, where it felt like an eternity that they shared, as Xander gently pushed her against the wall. She didn't resist at all.

When they broke the kiss, Buffy needed a moment to catch her breath. She tried to regain her composure and seem in control of the situation, but she had great difficulty trying to talk.

Xander held Buffy in his arms as they looked at each other. For a long moment there was a peaceful kind of emotion between them. Then suddenly Buffy began to draw herself away, her thoughts and feelings in turmoil. She looked away and began to get herself out of Xander's embrace. Before Xander could say anything she turned and rushed out of the room.

Xander solemnly looked after her as she left the room. He then became aware of Cato curiously glancing into the room. His head was poking out from the room with a goofy grin on his face.

"You enjoy the show?" Xander asked. "Let me get some sleep in peace."

Cato left the room and Xander stood there before removing the wet toga from his body. Once he was naked, he sighed. He stumbled onto the bed in the center of the room and collapsed upon it, sobbing into a pillow fresh with fragrance.

Buffy bathed her face with cold water, muttering curses pertaining to what had just happened with Xander. She didn't realize how much torment Xander had caused her with her feelings until now. She wished she could have the time to think about or reflect on their relationship but because they were stuck together in Rome, it was near impossible. It would be tough for her to bear each day with Xander, knowing that she loved him and could not express it.

When she felt restored, Buffy went from the kitchen into the living room. Acacia was sitting alone on a wooden chair, looking outside of a window. She didn't say anything to her but nodded her head to inform her of her entrance. Buffy could see Acacia breathing a prayer of some kind, and immediately felt intrusive to what she was doing.

"It's okay. I never lose focus when I pray," Acacia said absently, and Buffy sighed in relief.

Buffy had moved out of the kitchen after washing her face from a bucket of water and taken a seat in the spacious living room on another wooden chair. The chair smelt like fresh wood, like it had just been chopped from a tree. Buffy smiled in delight at the beautiful antique furniture around her. Acacia grinned at her excitement.

"What's your name, young girl?"

"Buffy," she said coolly.

"Ah," Acacia nodded, looking around the room as Buffy uneasily shifted in the chair. "You know, in the city, you don't see many houses like this."

"It kind of looks that way, doesn't it?" Buffy agreed.

"So how do you know Xander?" Acacia probed gently.

Buffy didn't answer. Acacia looked at Buffy, eyebrows raised. Buffy shrugged in return. Whatever was going on, it was clear that Buffy was trying too hard to be conservative and not trusting herself telling any facts to anyone.

"Oh," Acacia said. Taking a deep breath, she stood up.

From her appearance, Buffy expected her to scream for her husband and get her in trouble, but Acacia stretched out her arms and yawned. "My name is Acacia. Nice to meet you, Buffy." She reached out and shook her hand.

"I feel the same." Buffy shifted her attention to the young girl walking into the room. "Is that your daughter?"

Acacia smiled at the young girl, and the girl ran up into her arms. "Yes. Her name is Illeana," Acacia said, turning to Buffy with Illeana looking directly in her eyes. "Illeana this is Buffy."

"Honor to meet you, Buffy," the girl said, her voice quiet. "Are you Xander's lover?" Buffy frowned at her. Illeana met her gaze steadily, her emotions unreadable.

Buffy looked at Acacia, half expecting the mother to tell her daughter to not be so rude. But she realized that Acacia was just as interested as the child. "Are you guys serious?" Buffy laughed nervously.

Buffy looked out of the room, wishing Xander was there. He had a gift for breaking the ice and ending awkward moments.

"Yes we are," Acacia said. "It is a simple question. Please do not offend my daughter."

Buffy nodded, her heart aching. "I guess so, yeah."

Acacia paused, a shudder running through her. "Come, Illeana. Let's leave Buffy in some peace," she said. She began to walk out of the room, holding onto her daughter. "Nice talking to you Buffy."

Buffy looked at them walk into the kitchen, sighing in disbelief. "These people are weird," she said flatly. She kept her eyes straight ahead.

It was crazy to her how the mother could look so interested in such a question. Though Acacia was married, she started to get a feeling that she might be in for a rude surprise. An unfaithful surprise. Buffy thought it over. Then, she leaned back against the chair and closed her eyes.


	5. Sudden Rush

A couple detached themselves from the line waiting behind a counter and made their way out through the exit of the John Wayne Airport. Brittany stood near the counter, watching them go happily; and then, as Brittany knew she would, the woman behind the desk greeted her. "Hello, Miss," she said, gesturing Brittany closer to the counter. "What can I do for you?"

"Yes, um, let me see..." Brittany said, leaning her arms over the counter as she stepped forward. Taking a deep breath, trying to push back the fatigue that had become a permanent part of her, she nodded, remembering what she was planning on asking. "Have you seen a woman by the name of Faith come by here? She had some tickets to my knowledge on a flight to New York."

It was a relatively answerable question. It would be hard to believe or any other Faith's at the airport that early in the morning. She had remembered weeks ago through a conversation with Buffy that Faith would be going to the airport to leave Sunnydale around 2 a.m. The day after the supposed sleepover seemed like the most obvious date for departure.

"All right, let me check that for you," she said. "Does the girl have a last name?"- Brittany shook her head. "Well that won't help the search."

Brittany looked around the airport, fighting against a sudden flush of anger. All of the people waiting in line behind her came into view: showing evident looks of tiredness and frustration. All of them were expecting her to hurry because she was alone.

"Look, I highly doubt any other people with the name 'Faith' came by," she said. "Isn't there a person check by first name?"

The woman backed away. "Yes, but it'll take a couple of minutes. Hey John! Get me the passenger forms!" she called.

Her voice echoed through the airport, despite its huge size. Brittany found herself munching on her fingernails. She checked her watch. 2:13 a.m.

A couple of men filed into the room. Brittany cleared her throat instinctively. "I doubt if there's two John's working here," Brittany said, frowning, "I mean I can guarantee you there is only one Faith here this morning."

One of the men handed the woman a form. The other just stared at Brittany. Brittany shuddered uncomfortably. The man who was staring at her then said, "Who is this girl? A friend of yours or something else?"

"Sorry?" Brittany's eyebrows rose sardonically. "You don't think I'm some kind of lesbian do you?"

The man swallowed hard. "No, I was just asking."

"Well I am, okay. And I would like to find out where she is as soon as possible," Brittany blurted out, hoping to possibly speed up the process. "She is supposed to leave the city and I want to marry her."

The woman who was scanning through the forms suddenly began whipping through them. "Oh, I'm sorry for making you wait so long. I thought you were a family member."

Brittany's eyebrows lifted. "So lovers are more important than family members?"

The woman's cheeks turned red. Her eyes lit up when she spotted the name. "Oh here she is!" she admitted. She glanced at Brittany. A frown slowly grew around her face. "Oh I'm sorry, Miss, but Faith already left the airport at 1:30."

Brittany frowned. "I thought it was 2 a.m."

The woman smiled bitterly. "It was, but there was supposed to be a storm coming soon so they left early." She shook her head, looking down at a computer screen. "Well, there is another flight to New York at 5." She looked up and her smile vanished. "Miss?"

Brittany found herself flying towards the exit of the airport without any recollection of having her feet on the ground. In her head, a warning bell went off. She had to see Giles and find out a way to get Xander back before it was too late. Time was running out.

The glare of heat glistened from the kitchen near the living room where Buffy sat. The scent of roasted meat and fried fish filled the house. Buffy jerked up and awakened, positioning herself as she brought her nose up vertically. The smell was not foreign or different. It was recognizable and it smelled of the foods that were tied back in Sunnydale

Yawning, splitting her attention from the smells, the living room, and all around the household, she stood up.

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder, gently pushing her back down on the chair. "Relax," Cato said softly. "We're about to eat some breakfast, no need to get up."

The shock of hearing the words 'breakfast' blazed through her. She'd been lucky. She had been saved by Xander, carried by him while choking to a house, and now to receive warm food on a beautiful morning. She relaxed back into the chair. "Ahh, thank you, Cato."

"Ah, you remembered my name this time, eh?"

Buffy expected more sarcasm, or some more words from Cato but she did not feel him anymore at her side.

Gritting his teeth, Cato studied the food lying on the kitchen table. The roasted meat was fresh, no doubt, but he could see some burnt marks on the fried fish. He had a beautiful guest and this would not be the welcome he would want to give.

He spotted his wife, Acacia, a fourth of the way down across from the table: a bunch of small olives laid before her on one of the counters and she was chopping them quickly into pieces with a knife.

"Nothing like giving our lovely guest some overcooked food, Acacia," he muttered to his wife, picking up one of the burnt fish from the table and playing with it in his hands. Then, with pondering elegance, he took the fish and slammed it hard onto the floor.

Wiping the sweat out of her eyes, Acacia braced herself for a fight. Her marriage with Cato had taught her not to disappoint guests. She hoped that he would not notice the fish but now, she realized she was in trouble.

"Would you want one of our guests to eat that shit, Acacia!" Cato snapped suddenly. "Don't try to play me with your naïve denials. I could tell by the way you're acting you screwed up. Did you really think that I wouldn't notice?"

Acacia swallowed, shivering from the cold breeze coming out of the window in the kitchen and the colder feeling inside her. Xander had told her the day before that he would not let Cato lay a hand on her, but she could sense that his promise would not follow through. She could feel that there was far more that Cato would do than hit her.

"Stop cutting those olives," he said, forcing his voice to remain calm. There was a hard steel behind his voice, full of determination, with a sense of superiority underlying it all.

Acacia clenched her teeth. "I have to finish cutting them for Buffy. Whether you like it or not."

There was no doubt in her mind this time that Cato was ready to explode. She hoped if he could make a big commotion that Xander would come to the rescue.

Cato made a weak smile. "Oh, no Acacia. You are not," he murmured, moving closer to her. "You already failed today with your cooking, don't let me see you fail with the preparation."

"How about you see this?" Acacia said, taking the knife she was using to cut the olives and aiming it directly at Cato's chest.

Cato didn't move; he just stared quietly at the sharp knife inching closer to his chest. "You're really thinking about stabbing me, Acacia?" Cato asked with mock innocence. "For what have I done to anger you so much? You're the one who's overcooking the food!"

"Stay back!" she said, retreating back around the kitchen table, pointing the knife in Cato's direction. Behind and to her left, she could hear Buffy whistling quietly to herself. She had a feeling that the beautiful blonde was not much of a fighter.

Cato seemed to know what she was thinking. "You pull out a knife and then expect you to get some help? Why can't you do it by yourself, Acacia?" His anger vanished from his voice, leaving it more calm and level with Acacia. "Please put the knife down, Acacia. If anybody should be holding that knife, it should be me."

"Why so you can stab me with it!" she cried.

"Why would I do that?" he asked once again with fake innocence. He said it just as loud as she had cried, realizing that Buffy could easily eavesdrop on their conversation.

"I can't believe you're trying to play the good guy," Acacia retorted, wondering what Buffy would do if she shouted her name. "For once, Cato, show the guests who you really are."

"Perhaps I should," Cato said. His head turned slightly to the left, freezing Acacia for a second, and then he lunged forward, slapping the knife from her hands. Acacia tried to make a run into the living room but Cato grabbed her waist with his hand and her mouth with the other. "I told you to not embarrass guests that we have."

Acacia wanted to scream but his grip on her mouth was so tight she could not even move her cheekbones. The earlier confidence that she felt towards Cato had vanished and she felt helpless like she always had been.

Cato dragged her deeper into the kitchen with his left hand wrapped around her waist, his eyes focused in front of him. "You're going to get it, this time Acacia," he said. "And nobody is going to save you."

Relaxing every tense muscle, Acacia waited. Then she felt herself be released from the grip on her mouth and waist and turned in front of Cato. Cato clocked her right in the face at the exact moment she was whipped around to face him. Coughing out blood, Acacia fell to the floor and Cato went immediately for the knife he swiped away from Acacia.

Just as he grabbed the knife and straightened it, he saw Xander rounding the corner into the kitchen in front of him.

And in that split second, Cato dropped the knife. He shook his head. "It's not what it looks like Xander," he said. He turned away and cursed. "You caught us at a bad time."

Xander saw Acacia lift her head up, her face battered with blood. It was about the last thing Xander would have expected to see in the kitchen and the sheer surprise of it momentarily put him in a state of shock.

Still cursing, Cato went around the table and examined the food as if everything was normal. "The food's ready, Xander."

Suddenly the shock that had paralyzed Xander gave way to an avalanche of anger. "You bastard!" he snarled. "You fucking asshole!"

Cato spun around to face Xander. There was a heavy bellowing from Xander as he bolted towards Cato. He looked down at the knife, hoping he could grasp it before Xander made it to him. When he looked up, he locked eyes with Xander for a second. He could see a wild look on his eyes.

He went for the knife instinctively and just as he grasped it, Xander blocked and grabbed the knife with one hand, yanking it hard away from Cato, throwing him off balance.

Xander threw himself sideways, executing a hop over the table and landing on his feet, meeting Cato as he ran around the corner.

Cato thrust his hands up to shield himself from any blows but Xander easily gripped his wrists and pushed him backward. Xander squeezed his hands into fists as he watched Cato lean helplessly against one of the kitchen counters.

Cato's heart was pounding. "I'm sorry!"

Xander smiled grimly. "You're not so tough when you're confronted are you?"

He backhanded Cato with his left hand, knocking him to the side as if he was a fly. Xander leaned close to Cato. "I don't want to beat you to death, so leave."

Cato almost breathed a sigh of relief. Then Xander punched him across the face. Pain spread through Cato's face and he stumbled to the floor. He lay sprawled out on the floor, unconscious.

"Or stay." He gazed at the old man, a sense of the unreal creeping over him. He could hear Buffy calling his name. He nodded, still half in shock. He turned and saw Buffy kneeling beside Acacia. He watched Buffy hold on to Acacia's neck as he went over to where she lay.

Buffy took Acacia's head into her lap and stroked the dark hairs away from her face. "Acacia," she whispered. "You're going to be alright."

Her eyes fluttered open and slowly met hers. "Where's Illeana?"

"She's fine," Buffy assured her with a smile. "And so will you."

Acacia smiled a soft, almost melancholy smile. She knew that her jaw was broken and it would take a lot, if not at all, to treat it. "Is... Cato dead?"

"He's unconscious, if that makes you feel better," Xander reassured her. "It's amazing how you can withstand such a punch."

Acacia met his gaze, staring into his eyes for a long moment before finally nodding. She reached up a trembling hand and touched his cheek.

"You broke your promise." She whispered to him, as Xander moved her fingers from his cheek to his lips, kissing them. "You let him lay a hand on me."

Xander nodded and closed his eyes. He had failed. "Yes, I remember." He gave her nimble fingers one last kiss before opening his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Acacia laughed and started to gently lay her head on the floor before Buffy put her hand behind it. She then turned her gaze to her daughter who had just come into view. She looked at her frightened daughter and smiled, "Illeana, I'll be okay sweetie."

Xander caught sight of Illeana and started to move to get her away from the scene. "Illeana."

Buffy helped Illeana rest for a couple of seconds and watched as, walking through the kitchen, Xander continued after Illeana.

"Xander?" she called after him.

He ignored her and scooped up Illeana, carrying her out of the kitchen.

She looked down at Acacia, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Acacia sat up and was in her arms.

"I'm sorry for not helping you," Buffy said, full of mixed emotions of Xander and what had just transpired.

"It's okay, Buffy." She murmured into her ear. "Find me a bed to rest on."

"Okay."

Xander had gone through the house, rapidly searching for Illeana's room. By the time Xander had found her room, the young girl was already asking questions.

"What happened to my mother?" she said, slipping onto her bed beside Xander.

"Your mom had a little accident," he said gravely, sitting down on the bed. "She's going to be okay though, so nothing to worry about, okay?"

"I have seen her that way before," she said. "It's not like it's the first time. She's had many accidents."

Xander sighed, angered by the fact that she had not been told by Cato or Acacia what had been going on with the spousal abuse. "No," he said firmly. "I'm sorry to tell you this but your mom had a fight with your dad."

Illeana grumbled. "No," she shook her head. "My father wouldn't hurt my mother. Nothing you say can convince me otherwise."

"Okay, suit yourself," he decided. "I'm going to see how your mother is doing and I'll be back." Xander got to his feet.

"I believe you," Illeana said suddenly. Tears started to well up in her eyes. "I do believe you, I just can't understand why he would do it..."

Xander hesitated; but instinctively, sat back down and touched the dark curls at the nape of her neck. The same way he had done the day before at breakfast. Illeana instantly recognized the familiarity of his touch and smiled.

He gave her a hug and kissed her on the neck. "You're not alone, remember that," he murmured.

Illeana quirked a brow, not understanding what Xander meant. "What?"

Xander cocked his head back and took a deep breath. It had been a while since he dared to tell his family secrets to anyone. "My father also abused my mother. I couldn't stand it." He could see her staring at him suspiciously. "Even when I was angry, I was still in denial over it after every time it happened. But I made it through. And so will you."

Illeana smiled again. "Are you trying to rhyme?"

Xander smiled as he remembered what he had said, then he laughed. For the very first time in his stay at Rome, he had felt at home. Like he was needed.

She sat beside him, miraculously content, feeling so blessed to have him next to her. "Xander?" she whispered his name.

He smoothed her hair. "Yeah?"

"Give me another hug," she told him. "A longer one."

Xander touched her cheek. "Okay, sweetie."

Illeana could feel Xander wrap his arms around her slim body. She closed her eyes and savored the rugged feel of his body against hers. After a minute, his arms wound underneath her armpits, lifting her up. She cried out happily, her eyes opening to see her held high in the air. "My god!" she breathed. "Don't drop me!"

But he had already done so. She tumbled down, after being thrown up, from five feet in the air into Xander's arms, as he sat on the bed. After she was safely situated on the bed, her face darkened. She knew that he had done what she had wanted him not to do. She slapped him lightly across the cheek. "I told you to not drop me!"

"You think I'm going to listen to an eleven-year-old!" he laughed.

"Twelve!" she said, gasping with pleasure.

Xander's grin deepened. "Wow, Twelve, big difference!"

She slapped him again, harder. "Well, have you ever been beat up by a twelve-year-old?"

"Ow!" he cried. He stared at her, confused. "Does all your family use violence?"

"I do when I have to," she said simply. "And I'm not slapping you hard, am I?"

Xander stared at her with mocking, miserable eyes. He nodded. "Yes."

A soft smile curved Illeana's lips. "Good."

There was a soft tap on the door. Both of them turned. Buffy was standing there.

"Buffy!" Xander said exuberantly.

"Hey Xander," she murmured. "Um, Acacia is in our room, resting."

"Well I hope they have extra sheets..."

After a long silence, Buffy said, "They don't, but we'll just sleep in her room."

He studied her for a moment, recognizing some impatience. "Buffy, did you come here to tell me something else?"

"Well, I...I saw Cato moving a bit. It looks like he's waking up."

He turned to smile at Illeana. "I'll be back," he said softly.

Jumping up, he paced to the doorway and met up with Buffy.

"I guess you're assuming the father role, now, huh?" Buffy muttered.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. I found it hard to avoid it, considering I had Dawn to practice it on and all."

Buffy laughed softly. Xander walked out the door, waiting for Buffy to catch up with him. Her smile slowly faded. An ache formed in her heart. She sighed. "Xander..."

"Yeah, Buffy?" Xander asked, startled.

She couldn't control her emotions any longer. "Did you and Acacia have an affair?"

Her question froze Xander. He couldn't find anything to say. "Um..."

Buffy could see the guilt that flashed through his eyes. She clenched her jaw and walked in the opposite direction. Xander followed her.

"Buffy, come on, we don't have time for this," he told her.

And to his surprise, Buffy started to laugh. It was near hysterical.

"You have time to chastise a little girl but you don't have time for me?"

"Ugh..." From down the hall came a groan. It was Cato.

"You deal with him, Xander, and leave me alone," Buffy urged.

Xander kept looking at her. "Buff, it wasn't sex or anything, okay? I was just comforting her. She came on to me!"

He could hear Buffy inhale sharply as she walked down the hall into an empty room.

"Ah, man, this is just so great!" Xander mocked loudly. "I should've never woken up!"

Closing his eyes, he tried to compose his mind and stretch out his senses during these turbulent minutes. It was impossible, he knew, to tell Buffy anything without her thinking of it as a lie. He kissed Acacia that much was true. But even with kissing another woman, it had occurred before he had saved Buffy. "That's not cheating," he thought to himself. "Hell we're not even an item, are we?"

Xander opened his eyes and looked around the house. He didn't know either to continue arguing with Buffy or confront the wife abuser. Then with hesitation going from side to the other, Xander finally chose to go towards Cato. He after all, was a friend with him. He didn't know what he was now with Buffy.

The walk to the kitchen was farther than what Xander had expected, but he controlled his nerves without trouble. As he entered the kitchen, he saw Cato settled back against one of the kitchen counters.

"Xander," he murmured. "I don't think anybody cares about me."

"Yeah," Xander agreed. "So, what happened here, man?"

"You know me, Xander, I don't like to disappoint my guests," he said, nodding his head in the direction of the burnt fish lying on the floor.

Xander followed his gesturing over to the end of the kitchen, where he saw a piece of fish on the ground. He stared at the fish then at Cato. He didn't know which one he liked better at the moment.

"You beat her because of a fish?" he asked Cato in disgust.

"Well she pulled a knife on me," he said. "It's not like I initiated it. I just complained and she took it personal."

Xander thought back to the first time he and Acacia had a conversation. She had told him that he beat her in the garden and the night before Cato had found him lying against a tree. He wasn't convinced. "Okay, the last thing I want right now is bullshit," he said. "Tell me the truth, Cato. You beat her before... when I wasn't around."

"What difference does it make, son? Marriages has its troubles," he countered bitterly. "This was the worst it's ever been, so I'm sorry you had to witness it."

"I didn't." Xander was glad that he didn't watch what happened. He sensed Cato's sudden jump to nervousness as he approached him slowly. "You were about to kill her."

"I wasn't planning to." Cato looked around the kitchen, blinking several times. "You really messed me up, Xander."

"She has a fever," Xander said, flexing his fingers. "How can you, Cato? I mean you do it regularly. How would you like it if you had a fever and to add insult to injury, got beaten up every other day?"

"Wait a minute!" Cato said, watching as Xander moved closer to Cato. He didn't know what Xander was up to but it was intimidating him immensely. He tried to run away but he was too weak to move.

"What you're afraid of me hurting you, Cato? How do you think Acacia felt every day?"

"Xander-"

"You beat her, Cato. I saw the bruises on her elbows. I guess she had a reason to pull out that knife, huh? You probably used it on her regularly," he added. "Am I right?  
Because I feel that I'm telling it like it is."

Cato frowned, exhaling deeply. "Go on and get on with it," he said. "Get your personal revenge out on me. Just remember I'm not your father."

"For the first time, I think I'm happy that someone is not my father," he said. He had dealt through his whole childhood of a drunken, abusive father beating his mother. To see someone worse than his father, lying on the ground, inviting him to take out his vengeance on him was a tough offer to refuse. Reluctantly, he stepped back away from Cato, resisting the urge to beat him unconscious.

"Well, that's it, eh?" Cato hissed. "You punch me once and you're satisfied? What kind of man are you?"

"I hope to god that you don't meet another woman," Xander muttered. "In fact, I wish for any woman that they don't come into contact with you."

Cato eyed Xander as he walked backwards. "What are you saying? I live here and Acacia is still my wife."

"Not with me under this roof," he said. "I'll let you pack your things but you're leaving today."

"All right, that's it," Cato said, staggering to his feet. "You're my guest and you're going to leave."

Xander took a deep breath, almost not even noticing Cato's pathetic approach to him. He pitied Cato but he could tell Cato had serious problems. For Acacia and Illeana's livelihood, Cato had to go. He felt like he would handle the situation perfectly with Cato gone. It would be an action that he had dreamed of doing with his father when he was young. Now he had the opportunity to get rid of an abusive father himself.

Cato came closer to Xander, bumping into everything in his path. Cato struggled to keep his footing, all too aware that this was his only chance to save himself and remain in the household.

He made it to Xander and grabbed his flannel shirt that he was wearing. "You're going to have to make me leave."

"I'll give you five minutes," Xander told him, throwing a quick glance around the house. "You healthy enough to travel?"

"Yes," Cato conceded, reluctantly giving in. He looked down regrettably. "I suppose I can't come back?"

"You can. But give it some time." Xander frowned at him. "Have you ever given her some breathing room?"

"Well... not really," he said dryly.

Xander shook his head. "I'm sure you have enough money to stay at some inn, right?"

Cato's gaze drifted away from him. "Yes. But Xander, I'm just wondering, why do you want me to leave? I mean we're friends, aren't we?"

"It has nothing to do with our friendship," he told Cato quietly. "It has everything to do with your family."

"So we're still friends?" Cato asked, turning to face Xander.

"Yes," Xander nodded. "Get your stuff, Cato, and come back tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," Cato said. He glanced at Xander apologetically and exited the kitchen.

Xander took his first really relaxed breath since he had reached Cato's home after he carried Buffy many miles. It was a nightmarish day from the beginning when he first took steps out of the scaffold. Cato's departure from the house seemed like the only bright side during the day. "Of course kissing Buffy wasn't too bad," Xander thought.

It really didn't deserve the name, the Demon Portal of Macabre. Not in Giles estimation, anyway. Dirty and old, the book he had been reading throughout the night lay on his desk in his room. Still, after many hours of searching, the only thing he found relating to a disappearance through a portal was the Demon Portal of Macabre. It was a decent explanation but Giles doubted that death would be involved in the portal. The most likely explanation was that both Buffy and Xander were sent to a different world or dimension.

But it was neither Buffy, nor Xander, nor even the portal that held Giles' thoughts as he sat tiredly in his chair. It was, instead, the memory of Jenny Calendar that flashed through his mind. He had thought of her before, but not at a more crucial time than now.

Giles looked around his apartment. He could see his bed where he had found Jenny Calendar dead, staring him in the eyes. He pulled off his glasses and cleaned them with his shirt, forcing himself to concentrate.

After putting his glasses back on, he winced at the memory of seeing her body there. It was hard to dispel such a ghostly image of her face. He wished that she would come back to him now, in any form. Even if it meant Drusilla transforming into Jenny Calendar. He wanted to see her, touch her, and kiss her.

He smiled. It was a great relationship, the one with Jenny Calendar. Even as he tried to remember every day that had together, the images in his head began to disappear. It was far too long ago for him to remember.

Then the thought of Joyce Summers came onto his mind. His fingers shook at the thought of her death. It wasn't the usual shaking when he was thinking of someone. It was thoughts of the 'what if' and 'where' that haunted him the most. He sensed a lost opportunity with Joyce and their relationship.

He grunted, feeling two hours of frustration swelling in his throat. Two hours for the most part wasted, with the solution not in sight, while wherever Buffy and Xander were, the future of the next Slayer and many of his friends' lives were hanging in the balance.

Giles made a face as he heard his doorbell ring. "Can't I get any sleep?" he wondered to himself. He could only hope that it wasn't Brittany. It was hard to tell what state of headache he would get with her being around him.

Giles seemed to consider whether or not to answer the door but he had already left his chair to go to the door. He heard the doorbell ring several more times. It was Brittany, all right. "I'm coming!" he called, frowning.

Giles entered the foyer area, to find a familiar face peeking out through one of the windows. He opened the door, ignoring her goofy face.

"Giles, what a pleasant surprise to see you up this early in the morning!" Brittany gushed. "I'm hoping the hangover hasn't got to you just yet, has it?"

"I'm okay," he told her. "What are you doing here?"

"I...um..." She tilted her head slightly to the left, as if trying to remember why she had came to his apartment in the first place. "Oh, I visited Willow and I think she is innocent of the crime. I noticed some weirdness about her but she seemed like she wasn't involved."

"Okay, thanks for the info," Giles said, slowly attempting to close the door. "You could've told me this when I came back to Xander's apartment."

"Yeah, but I couldn't wait. You know me..." Brittany said nervously. She watched Giles pull the door back. She sighed.

Giles motioned her to come inside his apartment and found her shivering, moving to the closest warm spot near one of the lights. Giles, standing near the door, rushed over to retrieve one of his coats and he scrambled over to place it over her shoulders.

"Oh, Giles," Brittany said, gazing into his eyes. "Thanks." She looked down the hallway, hoping to see some books laid out somewhere. "Can I see what you've done so far?"

"What makes you think I started working on it?" he asked.

With her usual spontaneity, Brittany strolled down the hall towards Giles' room. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Ah, I just want to see," she murmured as she made it into Giles' room. She stopped in shock. For a moment she stood there, looking at all of the books stacked around the area and the papers lying on the floor. She could not believe that Giles would do so much work in such little time; it was something she had never seen of him before.

Brittany looked behind at Giles, her lips twitching. "I... I can't believe you did all this."

Giles took a breath, forcing his intoxicated mind to relax. "Why are you here?" he asked, keeping his voice calm.

"Whoa, somebody needs some sleep," Brittany joked.

Giles shook his head. "You shouldn't be here this early in the morning. I was about to go to sleep anyway. Is there anything else you want to tell me besides the Willow thing?"

"You want me out of here, huh?" Brittany asked lazily. "Can't we have a couple of drinks?" Giles frowned. "Non-alcoholic?"

"Depends on what you tell me," he said.

"Well, Faith left to New York, that's for sure. So basically all the suspects that hasn't been cleared by me is you..."

"Interesting," Giles commented as he walked over to where all of his books and handwritten notes were lying. "You just won't ease up, will you?"

"You're not easing up much at all from what I see," Brittany said, her voice showing signs of disappointment.

"True." He picked up some of the papers on the floor and put them on his desk. He glanced at her and smiled faintly. "But I'm not having a witch hunt to find out who caused the disappearance. I'm actually doing something productive and trying to get them back."

"I understand that, Giles," she growled. "That's why we're making a good team here. You can find a way to get them back while I find out who caused it."

"I never thought about it in those terms," Giles said, his smile turning sarcastic as he gazed around the messy room to see if he needed to pick up any more papers. "Well, you'd be a good team player if you could help me clean up all these papers lying around."

Brittany stared at him. "What's in it for me?"

"Brownie points," he said. "Come on, you're a girl, know how to get some extra points in sucking up for once."

"You're a sexist," she said simply. She moved over to pick up some papers, feeling upset and grouchy. She looked around her area, to find at least twenty papers forming a straight line along the floor. "Damn, what'd you do in here?" she said, trying to smile.

"Just help me pick up the papers and we can chat," he said firmly. "And if you want, you spend the night here so you don't have to driving around this early in the morning."

"Ew," Brittany said with a shiver. "Why would I do that?"

Giles whistled softly to himself, picking up some papers. "Looks like you're pretty tired. If I was driving around at this hour, I wouldn't want to catch you driving around."

"Hey, at least I'm not drunk," she said grimly. "Hey Giles, tell me the alphabet."

Giles didn't answer. He looked at Brittany, grinning. "Uh, this early in the morning? Forget it."

"Yeah, whatever, Giles," she said. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the papers one by one. "I guess I need some sleep."

"You can sleep in my room," Giles suggested. "On the bed."

Brittany eyed him. "With you?"

Giles smiled slightly. "No, but I just don't want to sleep on it. I'll sleep in another room."

Brittany was silent for a moment. "I think he's still drunk," she thought to herself. She sighed. "Well, if I take some of your books and look through them at all, don't get mad."

Giles grimaced, thinking of how someone can be so motivated to find a solution to a problem. He pictured her in a classroom, rushing to find the answer to a hard math problem. "Alright, I won't. Just put them back where you find them. And if you find them on the floor, please put them back on the shelves."

Brittany laughed. "Yes, sir."

"Okay, let's clean this crap up." Giles looked down both ways of the room. Suddenly he caught an image of Jenny Calendar's face on his bed, staring right at him. He suppressed a yell and he staggered backwards slightly. He could feel his heart pounding out of his chest. Seconds passed, and as he calmed, he remembered how glad he was that Brittany was sleeping on his bed.

The remainder of the day was predictably smooth after Cato left. Feeling numb from emotion, Xander was aware that he could easily confront Buffy when he wanted to, since she was only down the hall. Though she was very close to him, Xander felt eerily far away from her. It didn't matter if he was in the room with her; he felt the same just as he would if he was a thousand miles away from her.

His mind engaged on centering on what he was doing with Illeana. For hours, he and Illeana had painted pictures on a mural slab. It had successfully made Illeana quiet for all that time. Xander, on the other hand, kept on talking to Illeana, all of it purely motivational and pertaining to what she was drawing.

Her drawing resembled something similar to the garden outside the house and her piece of charcoal slithered across the mural, filling in the necessary details of the grass and flowers. Xander could tell that Illeana was a very good artist. She dotted exactly the landscape to the finest detail and it was only when she was about to finish coloring in the grass that an idea came to Xander's mind.

"How about you draw Buffy and I?"

Not paying attention to Xander's request, Illeana continued glaring at her house profile before turning to stare out one of her windows to see if she had drawn every element of the garden.

Illeana took great care in drawing with the charcoal, making sure it wouldn't darken on the mural. Then as she added some more flowers to the mural, she remembered what Xander had asked.

"That would be too easy," she whispered.

"Well to be honest, I'm looking for any way I can make Buffy happy," he said. "If you draw her and I on the mural, she'll probably reflect and you know... be happy."

Illeana glanced at Xander and wondered if she should please Xander. Nothing in his eyes indicated that she shouldn't. Still, she didn't want to draw people.

"How much money are you willing to give me?" she asked.

"What? Come on, I'm not buying a painting here!" Xander's voice was more harsh than usual. He was insulted that she had to request money to draw something he wanted.

"I don't feel like drawing you guys. I like nature."

Xander was now angry and he struggled not to show her. "I don't care if you draw stick figures, as long you get the message to Buffy that you like us together."

"No, let me finish the garden," she insisted. "I'm worried that you have to find a twelve-year-old girl to help you with your relationship with Buffy."

Xander noticed the similar intellectuality of the young girl. He sincerely cared about Illeana. He frequently told himself not to horse play with her, to be immature, but he found it increasingly difficult.

"Fine," he told Illeana in a raspy voice. "I'll go make her happy myself."

"Xander, wait!"

He sighed, detecting her attempt to keep him there once more. He looked at her. "Yes?"

"You can give her this." Illeana colored every word she uttered and Xander knew that he was in for a good surprise. "I don't know if it will please you at all."

Xander glanced through one of the windows to the gardens underneath the Acqua Claudia aqueduct. The water swirling in the aqueduct produced a soothing sound, relaxing his nerves. He saw that Illeana was not touched by the sounds.

Illeana brushed some of the hair off her forehead, trying not to appear too nervous. She didn't know what to expect of Xander's reaction to her drawings of him and Buffy.

Xander smiled at Illeana's nervousness as she dug underneath the layers of mural slabs that she had drawn. It must have not occurred to him through the hours that she had drawn him and Buffy.

"It's really nothing," she said, giving Xander the mural.

He slowly scanned the picture, his hazel eyes never leaving the mural. The impact of seeing him and Buffy drawn so life-like was like a physical blow and he staggered slightly to keep his footing. It was several seconds before Xander could clear his throat.

"I'm impressed," he managed to whisper. "It's probably looks more realistic than the photos that people take of me with a camera."

"Camera?"

Xander smiled, obviously realizing he had mentioned something she wouldn't know. She stared hard at him, refusing to smile back. He was surprised that his smile would not manifest itself on her. "I'm just a little tired, that's all."

"Does England have something that us Romans don't?" she asked angrily.

"Prettier girls," he responded, wanting to see the young girl pout again.

"Liar!" She waved her hand at him as if trying to hit him.

"Illeana," he murmured, recalling how gullible she was when Cato talked to her out in the garden. "I made it up. England really doesn't have anything that the Romans don't. And I've been to Rome and I think their girls are pretty fine looking."

"You're just lying again," she said a loud.

The aching loneliness that Xander had avoided since he arrived in Rome had swept over him suddenly. He liked to think of Buffy whenever he felt alone but with their recent separation, he did not have that to fall back on.

"I'm not," he told her, holding back some small tears in his eyes.

Illeana turned her back to Xander. "Tell me how it goes with Buffy. If she still doesn't want to talk, I'll make sure she does with you."

"It's okay," Xander said. "I'll rely on myself."

Xander banked a smile. He enjoyed making the young girl uneasy. He had practiced so much on Dawn in Sunnydale that he could not stop himself from doing the same in Rome.

"Xander?" Illeana prompted, positive he would turn around to listen.

"Yeah, Illeana?"

"I hate you," she said with a heavy touch of sarcasm. She tucked a strand of hair behind one ear. "Good luck with Buffy."

"Thanks and you too with your drawings," he replied before he started walking down the hallway to see Buffy.

It was childish and perhaps even silly, yet Xander bringing the mural of a drawing that Illeana made would definitely make Buffy feel warm inside.

His steps quickened when he reached the end of the hallway into Cato and Acacia's room. He was certain from the last time he saw her that she had went into the room.

"Hey Buffy, we need to talk," he paused as he entered, seeing Buffy fast asleep on the bed in the center of the room.

He moved closer, tiptoeing around the bed so that Buffy would not awake. Xander was too interested in if she had cried or was enjoying her sleep. He was hoping more that she had cried earlier in the day so that he can know that she really cared about him.

As he slowly reached the bed, Xander leaned over to see a better view of her face.

He saw her smiling dreamily and snuggled in the bedcovers of the huge bed. The thought of her smiling was a better feeling than what Xander expected. Even if it did not affect her much, seeing Buffy smile to him was always something worth seeing.

Xander spotted wet eyelids and tear trails around the edges of her eyes. Her crying was revealing to him and he suddenly didn't like it. Positive that he had made a mistake in hoping for her to be sad, he left the room and walked slowly out into the hallway, hoping that Buffy would not know of his exit.

He slumped against the side of a wall, sighing heavily. "She likes me," he laughed sadly. "The girl of my dreams likes me and I fucked up."

Feeling taken by his emotions, he slid down the wall until he was lying on the cold marble floor. He couldn't feel the cold. Closing his eyes, he imagined the thrilling feel of her lips on his, her body on his, the excitement, and the heat. He wanted her to be with him, that moment, while he was on the floor. He rested his head against the wall, letting out another deep sigh.

For a couple of minutes, Xander pondered whether he should relax against the wall or go see Acacia. He tossed resting aside and stood up. He was hoping a meeting with Acacia would let him cool down.

If Xander had paused to reflect on what was going on, which he didn't, he would have discovered that he was in a trinity of three different females that were growing each minute on him physically and mentally. For a second, he wished Cato were there just to have a guy by his side.

Xander made the decision to give Acacia the mural slab the moment he saw her bloodstained face on the bed, resting. It was the same spot where they had shared their first kiss or kisses. He hardly would have imagined that they would be there again by themselves in such dire circumstances.

"How are you feeling, Acacia?" he asked innocently.

Noticing a familiar voice, Acacia smiled and nodded. "I'll live," she answered, amazed that Xander was so compassionate. She turned her body around and saw him through squinted eyes. "What's that you got in your hands?"

"What, this?" he asked, holding up the slab in the air. "Just something I was going to give to a beautiful lady."

"Oh," Acacia groaned. "That lady would be Buffy?"

"Nope," he said, not looking at Acacia as he approached her.

"So who?" she demanded, staring Xander into his eyes.

"A woman named Acacia," he murmured, his smile widening. "It is a picture that Illeana made for you, it is of you and me." Illeana's drawing had been descriptive but she had failed to strike the blonde color of Buffy's hair so it was easy to say that girl standing beside him was Acacia because of her dark hair.

Acacia sniffed in her nose. "Oh, sweet Xander," she said. "Thank you." She didn't feel the tears running down her face. "I'll make sure I keep this with me all my life."

Xander and Acacia stared at each other for a moment, then Xander moved in closer, sitting on the bed, next to her. He was happy that he made the right decision in giving Acacia the mural. It was of more valued importance than if he had given it to the Slayer.

"Don't cry, Acacia." He wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I don't have the stomach for it," he continued, resting his hand on her chest. "I've had an emotional day too. If you're crying, then I probably will."

"Oh, Xander," she said. Groaning, she sat up from the bed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Did I thank you for saving me?"

"Did you thank me?" he asked nervously. He knew that if he said yes, she would not hesitate to kiss him. If he said no, he didn't know what would happen. But he was in an upset mood and some kissing wouldn't hurt. "I don't believe you did."

"Take off your pants," she said, staring deep into his eyes.

"Sex is going too far," he thought. Growing uneasy, Xander spoke, his voice showing signs of sadness. "Acacia," he whispered. "Can't we just kiss?"

Acacia blinked against the wave of tears that were about to come down her cheeks. She loved Xander. She should have known better that requesting for sex would have turned out wrong.

"I'm sorry." She turned her head, looking away from Xander.

"Don't be," he said urgently. He turned her head towards his and kissed her softly, stealing her breath.

"Oh, god," she groaned between the kiss. "Xander, forget that I wanted you to do anything sexual. Kissing will only lead to sex," she muttered sadly. Slowly, she broke her embrace with Xander. "I know that Buffy has feelings for you and that you're her lover."

Trying to grasp her shoulders, she maneuvered away from him. "What are you talking about?"

Tears consuming her eyes, Acacia shook her head and backed away from him, trying to keep as much distance as possible from him before his mouth would entrance her. "It is true. She told me it is true. She is your lover."

Xander sat completely still, contemplating what she just said. "Did she say that?" he asked with interest.

"Go away!" she protested, showing a clear hint of jealously.

Struck by her anger, Xander moved quickly off the bed and sauntered backwards towards the door. Pushing the stray chairs aside, he stumbled back through the door.

Acacia sighed and looked at the mural Xander had given her. She sighed. "Xander and Buffy. Not Xander and Acacia." She threw the mural across the room and it smashed against the hard lines of the wall.

One of the praetorian guards was happy to find that the man and woman he saw exiting the scaffold had left behind a trail of breadcrumbs through witnesses and foot markings. As he toured one of the houses his men were searching, he was able to take comfort in the fact that he was closer to the escaped female criminal and the male savior. He saw a line of guards marching his way and some coming from behind.

Marching slightly ahead of the guards was Arpineius, his most trusted guard. He was a good worker, disciplined soldier, and a man of principle. Then again, that was what was required of the praetorian guards, the Emperor's bodyguard

"To what news do you have for me, young Arpineius?" the soldier asked, not waiting for the man to greet him.

"Nothing at all, yet all that I can see."

The man laughed lightly. "My god, where can those lovers be?"

He was very confident that Arpineius would laugh and he did. "Indeed, Pulcher. You said it right, my friend. It is not hard finding couples nowadays for Rome itself has become a homosexual city!"

All of the praetorian guards laughed beside them, and Pulcher said, "Remember my oath, friends, for I saw that man walk out of the scaffold like a fool. I'm sorry to offend your hard work in searching for him but it should not be hard at all."

Arpineius' head bobbed up and down. "No offense taken, Pulcher."

One of the guards walked closer into the circle. "What is it, sir? What did you see?"

Pulcher smiled easily and said, "Ah, there is my curious Considius. But regarding what I will tell you, don't spread it like a disease."

"I won't, Pulcher."

Pulcher saw Considius' politely puzzled expression and smiled. He had got his old friend interested in his stories again. "You cannot, men, degrade or take anything away from what I say, but what I saw was out of this world, all right. The woman that was arranged to be hanged the night before was indeed alive."

Most of the guards looked at Pulcher, who had all gone dead white. Pulcher noticed their interest and waited for someone to urge him on.

"Go on," one of them said.

He smiled. "The woman who was supposed to be dead, as the bastard orator announced..." The men all laughed. "The most brave woman followed the fool who I saw staring at me and my friend Divico. They who ran like the wind, drove me crazy, and alas I ran out of breath."

"Lacking stamina, Pulcher?" laughed one of the guards.

Raising his voice, he called out, "With all my heart, yes. To hear one of my own soldiers tell me is but sweet sorrow."

"It's your fault that we are searching every home to find them then," the same guard said. "If you could have been in shape like all of us are, you wouldn't have given us this grave task."

Pulcher stepped back into an assortment of guards, surprised to see one of his own men so frustrated to be searching for them. "Yes, you are right, Cimberius! I hope that your frustration will be eased when you sit on your ass spoon-feeding the Emperor!"

Cimberius jumped into the men, angered by Pulcher's statement. "He does confess to beseech me by claiming I'd rather spoon-feed the emperor than search for fugitives... It would make me more happy than to sharpen my sword to stab you in the heart with it than any other!"

Pulcher felt his words like a dagger. It was rare for one soldier to question his authority and leadership. He had been a part of the Praetorian Guard for fifteen years. He was a well-known soldier and leader among the men. "Alas, I had forgot who you were for a second, Cimberius. You can't for your own part even come near the Emperor or even talk to him. I judge you haven't even conversed with Pertinax yet, have you?"

Arpineius stepped into Pulcher's view. He was standing in his way, blocking him from talking to Cimberius. "Pulcher, my friend, please offer me a moment alone with you."

Pulcher sighed with relief, appreciating someone broke up the scuffle before it turned too deadly. He nodded. "Yes, I'll go." He stared hatefully at Cimberius. "I hope your stamina on foot is as good as it is in bed, Cimberius!"

Cimberius chuckled, hidden in with the guard. "Oh it is. Last night it was!" The guards laughed at his remark.

"My apologies," Pulcher told Arpineius as they walked away from the gathering.

"You want to know why we're a part of the Emperor's bodyguard?"

"I think I already know," Pulcher said.

Arpineius wiped the sweat from his face. "What I've learned in this job is that in order to restore this fragile Empire, we must avoid internal conflicts. We cannot fight our own, but the men on the other side."

Pulcher looked back at the guards who were laughing at him, fighting down desperation to talk to Cimberius again. "It certainly shocks me to see a newcomer threaten my veteran leadership in this guard," he said. With Arpineius holding him tightly from moving, he could not go towards them. "I wish I could discipline him right now."

"I think you will. But not now. The air is biting cold. I can feel we are nearby the house," Arpineius said, looking around.

Pulcher jostled his arm. "What has the witnesses told you?"

Arpineius bit his lower lip thoughtfully. "All of them confirmed that the fool carried the woman in his arms up into the countryside." He pointed into the woods behind him.

Pulcher watched it carefully. "Is that a fact?"

"From my knowledge, there are only a few houses up there and farther than that, just open land. They have to be in one of those houses," Arpineius intoned to him.

Pulcher shuddered with excitement. "Then what are we waiting for? Sundown? Let's go."

"We'll do our duty to you, sir."

Xander thought frantically as he circled the living room, lighting the many candles he had set up for the night. For some reason, even after all the kissing he had done with Buffy, he had found it hard that she would say that she was his lover. He felt an urgency to light all the candles so he could find a place to think.

Lighting the candles had to be done soon or he and everyone else would be in house full of darkness. He could feel someone around his presence.

He crossed the room with purpose, hating the conflicting weakness of his emotions. He saw Illeana sitting down in one of the wooden chairs, looking up at him. He smiled at her.

"When is my father coming back?" she asked.

"Tomorrow morning," he told her. He closed his eyes after finishing the last candle and he blew out the light from the wood he used.

The young girl was puzzled. "How do you do that? Like lighting all of the candles with that wood?"

He flipped over the wood and analyzed it. "Magic," he said. He turned the burnt wood over and placed it on the floor.

She scratched her head. "It usually takes an hour for my dad to light up the candles."

"The gift of lighters," Xander thought. He turned to her and said, "Don't you ever go to sleep?"

"Why should I?" she moaned. "I'll stay up as long as you do. Why haven't you gone to sleep, huh?"

Xander and Illeana looked at each other. Clearly it was shaping up to be one of their arguments. Xander moved away from the living room and into the kitchen, making a mental note to prepare dinner.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I'm going to make dinner," Xander said. He was surprised to see the breakfast food half eaten and still in decent shape. "You don't mind having fried fish or roasted meat do you?"

Illeana turned around and studied him in the kitchen. "Whatever tastes good. You should know." She leaned back in her chair and remained silent.

Buffy came walking into the living room, wearing only her white bra and underwear, and Xander couldn't help but notice how sexy she looked. "Wow, what a pleasant surprise, Ms. Summers."

Buffy turned and saw Xander. Flushing red in the face, she ran back through the hallway. Illeana and Xander couldn't control their giggling.

"I've never seen a woman like that before," Illeana said.

Xander tried desperately to get that image of Buffy wearing her bra and underwear in his head again. "Same here. Only in Victoria Secret magazines."

Illeana corked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," he said, turning to the food on the table. He began separating each plate with equal servings of fish and meat. He still couldn't get over seeing Buffy. "Damn, if only I can make her show me it with her permission," he thought.

He didn't glance back at Buffy when she came into the living room, dressed in a blouse and tight blue jeans. She watched him and then at the grinning Illeana. "I'm sorry about that guys, I didn't think anyone was in here."

Xander turned and met Buffy's hard gaze. He smiled. "No need to apologize."

Buffy gave Xander an odd look.

"So how did you guys meet?" Illeana asked.

"Huh?" Buffy asked. She turned and shrugged at Illeana. "School."

Xander couldn't help himself watching Buffy until she turned towards him. He looked away just in time so she would not see his staring.

"Xander the cook? I never would've thought it," Buffy said.

Xander stared at her for a moment, and then figured, "Hey, I mean, the housewife is injured, I got to step up to the plate. Or in my case, plates."

Buffy looked Xander up and down skeptically. She could see blood on his shirt. "I don't recall seeing you with blood on your shirt."

In what he hoped would ease Buffy's fears, he smiled. "Oh I was just trying to clean the sheets in our room."

"I'm hoping they don't smell, huh?"

"Thank god, she bought it," Xander thought. He couldn't handle another Acacia argument. "Yeah, they don't. Blood usually doesn't smell. I think you would know that."

Buffy brought her index finger to her lips in an attempt to "shh" Xander. She didn't want him revealing anything about her duty as a slayer.

As she gave him that gesture, Xander breathed slowly. She did not seem to be as grouchy and angry with him as she was before. "Sleep can definitely help," he thought. Xander grabbed one of the plates full of meat and fish and upended it into the trash. He noticed that it was not healthy looking  
enough to eat.

With a frown, Illeana said playfully, "Don't throw away all our food."

Xander laughed. "You'll thank me later, trust me."

There was a collective chattering from outside, sounding like a bunch of men.

Xander froze in the kitchen, looking around for the source of the sounds. Unfortunately no one else was taking notice. At their astonishment to his militant stance, both Buffy and Illeana crowded around Xander, staring at him.

"Xander, what's wrong?" Illeana asked.

"I heard something outside, like a group of men," he informed them.

Buffy raised an eyebrow, not sure if Xander was up to one of his games. She stood by one of the kitchen counters and stared at Xander suspiciously. "You're not messing with us, are you? Because if you are..."

Buffy froze stiff when she heard chattering voices outside the house. She turned to Illeana. "Illeana, go inside your room. Hurry."

"What?" Illeana asked, confused. She looked at Xander and he nodded at her. "Alright," she said sadly as she left the kitchen.

Xander turned to Buffy and said, "I don't doubt that it can be the guards. They sound like their muscular people..."

"Yes I know. I feel the same..." She stopped, concentrating on the sounds outside.

"They have to be in here!" a faint muffled voice said from the outside.

"We got to get out of here," Buffy said. She darted forward, grabbing Xander's arm, and the two raced out of the kitchen. They both caught a glimpse out one of the windows of many praetorian guards standing outside as they headed towards the hall.

"Shit!" Xander said.

Running into the hall, Buffy said, "We got to get Acacia and Illeana out of here, or they're going to die."

Xander knew something terrible was going on. But he didn't know how terrible it was. He went into Acacia's room with Buffy.

Acacia glanced at Buffy and Xander and frowned. "What do you want?"

"Get up, now!" Buffy ordered.

Xander hesitated, staring out the window. He saw that the guards were surrounding the house. He saw some of them holding onto tree barks lit on fire.

Acacia leaned back against the bed defiantly. "No."

Buffy nodded. "Okay." She grabbed Acacia and carried her off the bed. Acacia struggled to break free of Buffy's grasp but couldn't.

"Let go of me!" she screamed.

Still staring out the window, Xander said, "Buffy, I think we're trapped."

"Open the door!" shouted one of the soldiers outside.

Acacia heard it and her heart started to race. "Oh god, what do they want?"

Aware that they didn't have much time, Xander went into Illeana's room and scooped her up. "Come on, Illeana, we got to leave."

Illeana closed her eyes. "What's going on?" she asked, slightly shaken.

With a slight groan, he simply said, "We're in trouble."

Buffy dashed down the hallway with Acacia in her arms, crying out Xander's name, and he followed her with Illeana. There was only one exit and it was the front door where the soldiers were about to knock down.

"What now?" Xander asked, holding onto Illeana.

And then the front door broke down, splintering wood right in front of them in the hallway. They looked in shock as at least six men bolted through the door toward them. Every one of them was armed with a sword.

"Remember, we want the blonde girl and the man alive!" yelled Pulcher from the outside.

Illeana leaped off from Xander's arms and ran away as the soldiers stood before them. Xander, Buffy, and Acacia froze, realizing they were defenseless against six heavily armed men.

"What did I do?" Acacia asked innocently, as Buffy placed her on her feet.

"You damn know what you did!" Cimberius said, slicing Acacia in the chest with his sword. He glared at Buffy and Xander and growled, "Come in peacefully, I don't want to harm you guys."

Trying to sound courageous, Xander said, "You'll have to catch me." He ran back into the hallway. Buffy followed him as he ran.

Cimberius took a step towards them but his cape was too long. "Shit." He stared at the men standing behind him. " I think they need to be followed and arrested now!"

Pulcher entered the household and tossed a salute at his friend, Arpineius. "Hello, my friend. I'm glad to see that you were right."

He turned to face the woman bleeding from her torso on the floor. He looked at Cimberius and frowned. "We have direct orders to kill the house owners who hold these criminals. Why is she still alive?"

"Why are you still alive?" Cimberius growled.

Pulcher shot out his free hand quickly and he grabbed Cimberius' sword. He slammed his hand into the wall, and Cimberius dropped the sword onto the ground. Then Pulcher kneed him in the stomach and swung his fists into his face. Soon, Cimberius fell to the ground, wounded.

Pulcher swung Cimberius' sword upward, whipping it around. "Don't ever insult me again."

Pulcher turned to Acacia, who was holding onto her mortal wound on her chest, trying to keep the blood from flowing out.

"Please... spare me," she begged.

Pulcher did the only thing he was taught to do. He jammed the sword into her heart, twisting the sword as it punctured inside her bones and he pulled it out amidst a fountain of blood. Pulcher used the opportunity to toss the bloody sword aside to Cimberius.

"The blood is on your sword, Cimberius."

Then Arpineius descended with his dark cape down the hallway. Pulcher watched him go. He glanced at the remaining men standing aloof in the center of the house. "What are you doing? Capture them!"

And Pulcher casually kicked Cimberius right in the face. "Don't fuck with me, little boy."

Buffy and Xander hurtled down into the room where Illeana was in. She was hiding in one of the corners in the room.

Buffy had just managed to escape the praetorian guards to reach Xander, and she stared at him, who was concentrating on Illeana.

"Those fucking bastards," he said, his rage uncontrollable. He knew that they had killed Acacia. It was obvious by the sound of the sword connecting with her flesh.

Buffy started to reply, but she didn't get a chance, because one of the soldiers slugged her with the butt of the sword, knocking her to the floor.

"Get down, you bitch!" the soldier said.

Xander ran over to Illeana and scooped her up. "It's going to be okay, Illeana." He turned around to see four hungry  
soldiers staring at him and the girl. "Look, you don't want to harm the girl. She's only twelve. Let her go."

Arpineius burst through the men and came closer to Xander. He didn't care about what he had said. "Well, here's the fool I've heard about."

Xander eyed Arpineius with anger. "Fuck you."

Arpineius wanted to grab him and shake the girl out of his hands, but relented. "So, what do you plan on doing? Taking us out one by one? If it makes you feel any better, we have orders to have you and your lady alive."

Xander glanced at the soldiers who carried the unconscious Buffy out of the room. It had turned out ugly. The entire day had. He should have known it would have been a matter of time before he and Buffy would be caught.

"Surrender," was the only thing Arpineius said. He drew out his sword and aimed it at his chest. "We don't always have to follow the rules."

Suddenly Xander brought his feet up, connecting squarely into Arpineius' face. "Taste that, you bastard!" he said, as he lost his grip on Illeana. He turned to see Illeana who was in danger's way of the soldiers. "Illeana!"

Arpineius choked out a breath, then hauled himself back up. "Get the girl." He managed to grab Xander by the back of his shirt and flip him to the floor. Xander struggled furiously with Arpineius' grip on him. Arpineius picked up his fallen sword and directed it at his throat. "Come now..."

One of the soldiers knocked Illeana to her knees. "Xander!" she screamed, tears falling down her eyes.

Xander looked from the floor what was transpiring. "Don't hurt her!" As soon as he yelled, he felt Arpineius' fist go across his face. All he saw was darkness.

The soldiers smashed Illeana in the chin, sending her rolling on the floor in pain. She looked up painfully at the soldiers. "Don't hurt me!" she cried.

The soldiers waited until Arpineius went over to them and stopped. He sighed. "So, what are we waiting for?" Neither of the soldiers looked or felt pleased by his question. "We had orders! Didn't we?"

"Yes, but-" one of the soldiers started.

"But, what?" Arpineius asked, frustrated.

Looking at the crying girl lying on the floor, he replied, "The girl is a virgin, Arpineius. We can't kill her. It's not right."

There was a dead silence. Everyone froze, staring at each other. Illeana managed to make a weak smile, as if she was being let go.

"So..." the soldier said.

Arpineius paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and then began. "Everyone leave here except Antistius." The men scurried out of the door.

Sweat started to form around the soldier's face. "Yes, Arpineius?"

He moved closer to his ear and whispered, "Since you have a problem with killing her as a virgin, you have the honor of making her a virgin. Then you do the deed." Arpineius looked out the window. "We can wait."

Antistius sighed, thankful that his life would not be taken. "Yes, Arpineius."

"Good." Arpineius went over to where Xander's body was and dragged him across the floor.

Illeana's mouth drew into a faint smile as she watched Xander's body being dragged out through the door. "Goodbye Xander," she said in a soft, unpleasant whisper. "I hope to see you in the afterlife."

Arpineius nodded just once, as he dragged Xander out of the room, trusting Antistius to start the job. He could hear the young girl's bloodcurdling scream from outside the door. Then shaking off the noise, he moved towards the front door, dragging Xander's lifeless body.


	6. Trying to Keep From Dying

March 27, 193 A.D

All morning Cato had proceeded slowly to his home, with the physical effort considerable, and having no energy to talk. He traveled painfully with his belongings wrapped firmly around his shoulders, which now he felt it had been absurd that he had brought so many belongings if he was returning to his home the next morning. He hoped that his wife would forgive him; she always did. He could not however, even that he wished, feel that his daughter would feel the same.

The sun was warm and the air was clean, becoming more precious every breath he took. In order to have what Cato believed a peaceful thought of mind, one had to breathe at one's pace. Cato, with his slow breathing, was skeptical that he could maintain it once he reached his home. For the first time in his life, he reflected at all of the things he had done to hurt his ill wife. It was a sad thing to recollect such painful memories.

By the time he reached the beginning of the wooded Roman forest after walking two long miles from the city, he could see that the sun was beginning to rise higher. Then, without warning, he felt its rays burn into his eyes. He squinted and felt like he could not go any farther with the sun burning and blinding his eyes. The wind began to pick up and Cato stopped, only a short stroll from his home.

He looked up sharply at the sun through half-open eyes. "Damn sun."

He staggered forward and strode through the penetrating rays of sunlight in front of him. The walk was short, hardly more than a jog and he'd be there, but the sun's width seemed to grow and regardless of where he looked, left or right, he found no shadows to walk upon. There was no doubt that the scenery around him felt, smelt, and looked beautiful, but in his position he had no time to admire the nature.

He was, and he knew it, in a position to view his home from where he was. He could not see through the sun, so he started to hustle so he could see.

He then suddenly came to realize that there was no structure in front of him. He was surprised to find that his home was completely leveled and on the ground. He saw smoke rising up from the ashes of wood of his house and encircle him as he stepped closer.

Cato, stunned by what he saw in sight of his burned home, made just a soft sob, yet not enough he felt to let out all of the emotion he was feeling. He turned to see if anyone was around his home and gazed at every detail surrounding his garden. The smoke had not been cleared completely, and in the late morning if he could not see anyone, there wasn't anyone around.

He closed his eyes in sheer pain. He could hear and feel himself crying, and he heard also, with images in his head of his family screaming. It was then that his doubts of their survival crept up into his mind. He was not, as he knew from his life, a very pessimistic person when it came to danger. He after all, recently had left his horses Sunset and Stormy in the Roman city by themselves when he went shopping with Xander.

He still kept his eyes closed. He was frightened, and a little un-oriented, by what he had seen. "Where's my horses?" he first thought. He usually let them roam around the house before tying them to the house.

He caught sight of where he tied his horses to a latch on the side of the house. The latch was snapped off and had survived the fire. He laughed hysterically, and realized that his horses had been stolen. At any rate, Cato thought, they would be alive at least.

Cato was becoming more and more frightened. He had a hope that if whoever stole his horses, possibly Xander, would spare his wife and daughter. "Acacia! Illeana!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. About seven feet away from the rubble of what used to be his home, he recognized the charred body of his wife, Acacia.

"Oh god, no!" he cried, running into the smoke to see the remains of his wife. "And if only that bastard didn't kick me out," he could not help adding. He scanned with his eyes around the house mercilessly for the remains of Xander and Buffy but could not find them. Cato had a gut feeling that they might have done it.

"No, they couldn't of," he said to himself, shaking his head of the thought. "They wouldn't."

Cato's demeanor calmed a little and he stared at the burnt remains of his wife. "I am deeply sorry for you, Acacia," he said gently. He was feeling immensely fatigued and the smoke inhaling into his lungs was not helping. He coughed. "I'm so sorry, Acacia." He touched her melting skull and stroked it. "I should have died with you."

Cato envisioned a response from his wife, accepting his apology. He wondered now; if she would after being beaten and killed, forgive him in the afterlife.

"I deserve to die," he commented. "You don't, my love."

Cato did not look at her again; he lacked the stomach and feelings to do it once more. His thoughts of his daughter came to his mind. He pictured the outlining of his house and walked according to where each room had been. He found it hard to continue walking through his burnt home.

His reflection of bringing Buffy and Xander into his home gave him some right to resent and regret his action. He had the highest belief that Buffy was the prime result of what had happened. Everything that Xander had told him in the city had come to light. The friend Xander had described, without giving away her gender, must have been Buffy.

Cato lifted his hand to cover his nose from the smoke. "Hell, he even said her name to me," he thought, remembering when Xander said her name to him at the marketplace. Cato had rarely taken time to reflect on anything, but on this occasion he had pieced together the entire puzzle. Soldiers must have killed his family to get to Buffy and Xander. "That could explain why I don't see their bodies. Or..."

"Illeana!" he cried, noticing her small frame lying in between burnt to size bedposts.

Cato began to cry, a jerky high-pitched cry that forced him to fall to the ground, amidst all of the debris. "Illeana," was all that he could manage to say. This seemed beyond anything he could handle. He stared straight up into the sky. "Why! Why must they die! I'm the one that deserves to die!" he screamed.

Cato paused and lay beside the debris in his daughter's bedroom. It had been an awful morning- or something worse to describe it; he hardly knew any word that could. Thinking about all of the factors on who might have done it and so forth did not interest him at the moment. He closed his eyes uncomfortably, and looked at his daughter apologetically. "Poor Illeana."

He lay alone in the room. It seemed to him, a place engraved in his memory, that all of his life and home had perished; his soul included. He pondered what he would do with his burnt down house. Then after a minute, he leaned back against the grass and wept.

Sunnydale- Present Day

Giles sat alone thinking with the lantern illuminating his guest room. He was at a table, drinking the last of his whiskey, when Brittany walked in, wearing the clothes she had wore the time she came into his apartment. The girl entered with some flare, and on seeing him, stood back in the shadows as if trying to hide from him.

Giles was silent, not sharing her odd sense of humor. He began, after waiting a moment, "Good morning, Brittany."

The calmness of his words made Brittany come out of the dark. She pulled off Giles' heavy jacket he had given her and sat down on one of his chairs. Her face was pale and her body trembled. "You're not drunk, are you?"

"Why would I do that when I'm beginning to get a hangover?"

"I don't know. Geez Giles, what happened to you? When did you start this drinking habit? I used to know you as a normal person."

"There's no such thing as a normal person," Giles said.

Brittany looked at him and began to bite her nails. "I wish I had brought my sleeping pills. I barely got any sleep last night."

"Even with sleeping pills, I doubt you would have much sleep in that bed. At least I wouldn't have any."

Brittany laughed tiredly, his words soothing her. "You wouldn't have any sleep in any bed because you're so drunk."

Giles was silent.

"Did I offend you, Giles?"

Giles thought for a moment and remembered that Brittany was going to look through some of his books before she went to sleep. He wondered if her enthusiasm would provide any new results.

"It doesn't make any difference to me," he said. "Did you find anything of importance yesterday while you studied?"

Brittany nodded. "The Demon Portal of Macabre. That's about the only thing I found."

There was a long silence after Brittany spoke, and Giles broke it at last. "Yeah, that's what I found."

Brittany said rather sadly, "It's sad, ya know, that I searched through all those books and it never said anything about time travel. It's almost like the time travel books are not even around here at all, like maybe I need to check out the libraries and such."

"No I don't think that would be prudent." Giles went on, in a sudden rush of eagerness. "I bet most of the time traveling books are already checked out by some dorks."

"Yeah, but at least we'd be trying, right?"

Giles' face changed quickly into a frown. "No, the books I have are the best library to check. It's an insult to me that you would negate what I have over to some public library."

Brittany half turned away, her face lit up with shyness. "But Giles, I checked basically all your books and found nothing. There has to be others out there. It doesn't make any sense."

Giles could sense an argument brewing and he added, "Let's not discuss this matter this early in the morning. You want some tea?"

Brittany was not aware of Giles' condition, whether it was sober or not. She shrugged. "I guess... but-"

"No," Giles interrupted. "We can discuss this later, Brittany. Not now. Go in the kitchen and I'll follow you out to make some tea."

Brittany did not understand his forcefulness. "Okay..."

Hurriedly, she stood up and crossed the room over into the small kitchen.

Giles paused for a moment at his table. On the opposite side of the room there was a small cabinet whose handle seemed to be broken. As Giles sat watching the cabinet, it occurred to him that Brittany soon would check the cabinet. He knew that inside there were books stashed away containing vital information to retrieving Buffy and Xander back from the portal. If there were anyone alive who would check that cabinet beside himself, it would be Brittany.

There was a shout from Brittany, telling him to come into the kitchen. The uneasiness Giles felt subsided and seemed to disappear. He stood up, muttering to himself, and walked towards the kitchen. "She must not know," he thought.

Xander pulled Buffy into his arms and pushed her onto the bed, falling on top of her, as he kissed and devoured her mouth with his. She was amazing. "You are so beautiful," he whispered into her ear. He began to plant kisses down her neck.

"Umm, Xander, I want you," she whispered back.

Xander reached down and took off her white blouse slowly and with each button he opened, he kissed the exposed skin. "Wow, this is heaven."

She helped Xander remove her blouse, revealing her white bra to him, her white skin pressed hard against his own as they kissed roughly. Before Buffy knew it, Xander had pushed up her skirt and threw away her thong that now lay on the floor. Xander began to thrust into her gently.

"Oh Xander! Yes! More!" Buffy panted.

The fantasy ended abruptly. He was thinking about Buffy more than ever, the whole entire morning in fact.

He opened his eyes slowly to a dark, empty cell where there was only a mere stool to sit on. There was no bed or mattress. Xander suddenly felt all cold and wet.

He shifted his eyes towards a bucket of cold water beside the wall he was leaning against. Somebody must have washed his face while he was asleep. He swung his head back and forth, scanning the suppressing, hard features of the jail. "Maybe I'm crazy," Xander thought. "Maybe this is not real. I'm not in jail right now."

With a heavy sigh, he jammed his hands into the bucket of water and sipped the water through his palms. As he sipped and drank in the delicious water, footsteps began to clunk and echo against the walls. Xander didn't care if they saw him drinking; he was thirsty as hell. The smell of shit, the sight of unsanitary cells, and the lack of lighting made what should have been a pleasant experience drinking the water, a miserable one.

Glancing over his shoulder, Xander was surprised to see a stately old man, with a long beard and his hair brushed back, looking at him. Xander was struck by the image of Medusa on his armor. The man was no regular Praetorian Guard soldier.

Two strong guards proceeded in front of the man and stopped to take out the keys. More boots were approaching through the halls of the jail.

Xander's heart began to pound. "What are they going to do to me?" he thought.

The gate swung open. The guards came in and gave space for the man with the beard and the Medusa armor.

Xander got to his feet. The shock of seeing all the soldiers entering his cell had driven him to try to appear welcome of their visit. He saw a couple more soldiers emerge into the cell, one of them recognizably being the man who had knocked him out cold at Cato's home.

The old man with the long beard walked over to Xander, and slowly looked at him. There was such a stern, melancholy look on the man's face that Xander wondered if he was the executioner waiting to kill him. Sweat was pouring down Xander's face. "Bad time to show nervousness," he thought.

"Hi, I'm Xander..." Xander said nervously.

Xander felt a stiff punch into his shoulder and he slumped to the floor.

"Don't speak to the Emperor!" yelled the guard who hit him.

The man with the beard looked shocked at what one of his guard had done. He drew in a long breath, and then released it. He lifted Xander up from the ground and had him back in the standing position.

The old man looked at Xander's black eye curled beside his nose, then turned to gaze at Arpineius. "You better tell me a good reason why you hit this man, Arpineius."

Arpineius studied the old man's miserable expression. "I have nothing to answer, Caesar."

The man frowned as he patted Xander on the cheek. "Look here upon this man's face. A deed that destroys the will and virtue of our guard. I wanted this man in good condition."

"C'mon, Caesar. He kicked Arpineius right in the face," cried one of the soldiers.

After a moment's hesitation, the old man walked over to Arpineius. Arpineius stared at him, looking him dead in the eyes. Then the man kicked Arpineius right in the face, causing him to fall onto the ground.

"What do you think 'tis this, then men? Does he have a right to hit me?"

Arpineius shook off the blow and pushed his hand on the ground, lifting himself to his feet. He glared at the old man.

"Please, Caesar, don't be foolish. You are the Emperor," one soldier said. He pointed at Xander. "He is a criminal."

The Emperor motioned toward the soldier who spoke. "There is no evidence linking him as a criminal. He saved a criminal, yes. But I bet you all that no man here would be brave enough to save anyone in his predicament," the old man explained. "And what difference does it make if I am Emperor or not? If he is not yet proven guilty, he is but a civilian. As Emperor, we are known as the 'First Citizen' are we not?"

"I am sorry, Caesar," the soldier said.

The Emperor's face flamed with heat. "Not you, but Arpineius should be sorry." He glanced at Arpineius. "Offer me an apology and I will forget this matter."

When Arpineius didn't respond, the Emperor carefully moved closer and took him by the shoulders. "You are a good soldier. But I expect you to take responsibility for what happened at that home. I have already seen the blonde girl whom was hit in the head. And now, this young man... I want an apology now." Arpineius turned his back to him. The Emperor warned, "I pray thee to not insult my presence."

Arpineius turned around, his face flushed with embarrassment. "I will obey you, Caesar. I apologize."  
Arpineius' eyes went down to the floor.

The Emperor whirled around to face Xander, who couldn't control his laughter. The Emperor's tortured eyes roamed Xander's face. "I shall release you, only because my heart tells me you are a good man. A brave man. I have been a part of Marcus Aurelius' northern wars and I have been in many dangerous situations. From what I am told, you saved a criminal from hanging and based on my own experience, that should be commended, not looked down upon."

Xander's hands were shaking and his cheeks were on fire. "I'm going to be released," he thought happily. There was an ache deep inside him and his breath was coming out in deep gulps. Those words felt like fresh air. In no time at all, he'd be free.

"Look at him Caesar, you have offered him freedom and he still hasn't thanked you," an angry guard said.

"Maybe he is shocked," the Emperor said, looking Xander in the eye. "You have anything to say? Bid me thanks? Anything at all?"

"No," Xander thought to himself desperately. "I'm getting freedom, don't ask about Buffy. My life is more important. No, I love her." Whether he was going to mention Buffy or not, Xander needed to get a grip on himself. He had to say something sooner or later or the Emperor would change his mind.

Xander sighed. "What about the girl?"

The Emperor straightened his shoulders and turned his face out of the cell. "She will be handed over to god to judge."

"How can I allow myself to be free, and let Buffy die?" Xander thought. With a frantic groan, he ran his fingers through his hair, as he lifted his face skyward. Of all the choices he had made in his life, this was easily the most important of them all. Whatever he would do he was certain though, he would die sooner or later.

"Execute me too," Xander whispered thickly. He shook his head sorrowfully. "If she is going to die, add me to the list also."

Seconds later, all of the cell erupted in laughter. Xander focused on the Emperor who somehow managed to maintain his composure.

"Isn't he brave?" the Emperor said, causing the soldiers to continue their laughing.

Xander looked at the Emperor, as though he couldn't believe he was making what he thought was the toughest choice of his life; a joke. He didn't want to end the men's laughter or good spirits but he had to follow through on what he said. "I want you to execute me if you do the same with her. If she dies, I will die."

The Emperor shook his head as he strolled around the cell. "Stop this stubbornness, boy. This month of all, I want to be remembered as a merciful person." He moved closer to Xander, staring at him coldly in the eyes. "Did you hear about Quintus Sosius Falco?"

Xander shook his head. "No."

The Emperor reached out and touched his shoulder. "He was a friend of mine. You know what he tried to do?"-Xander shook his head. "He tried to get a conspiracy to kill me. He was a part of the Praetorian guard, a well respected man." He looked around at all of the soldiers, then back at Xander. "Guess what I did to him? I pardoned him. The other soldiers who were involved with him, I executed them. You see... I respect the ringleader or the man who has the balls to do something that could easily cost him his life. It's those who follow that leader that I dislike. You, my friend, are a person of your own. Don't disobey my wishes, I beg you. The girl is a criminal. You are not. You just wanted to sleep with her, didn't you?"

The Emperor's sudden turn to sarcasm caught everyone off guard, including Xander. The soldiers in the cell giggled uncontrollably. Xander suppressed a laugh and frowned at the Emperor. "She's a very good friend of mine. And she's not a criminal."

The Emperor grimaced at his remark. "A friend of yours? That girl?" He laughed, looking at his guards. "A friend, can you believe that?" he asked them. He turned back towards Xander, who was not enjoying his turn towards humor. "Hurry up and take back what you said. I really want to pardon another criminal. It would look good on my epitaph."

Sighing, Xander said, "Alas, no. Tell me my punishment for refusing and I'll accept it. I want death."

The Emperor's features tight, he straightened away from him. "Dammit!" he growled. He stared carefully at his soldiers, thinking of what he should do. Then he said, "Execute him tomorrow. Along with the girl. It should be an entertaining spectacle."

Arpineius' nostrils flared with agreement. His pale gray eyes stared deep into Xander. Xander caught his gaze and looked away. "You're definitely a fool," Arpineius said.

The soldiers all laughed. The Emperor forced himself to turn towards Xander again. As he did, he saw Xander's legs becoming shaky as he slid down against the wall. "Remember, this is your choice, Xander. Not mine." Xander didn't look at him. "My name is Pertinax by the way. Or if your one of these soldiers behind me call me... Caesar. Whatever name suits you the best."

"I have to see the execution," one of the soldiers said as they all filed out of the cell.

"Yeah, it'll be a great show," another one replied.

Turmoil was swamping Xander, but he kept it hidden as each eye of the guards pierced into him. He was a man now. Not a sarcastic high schooler or goofy best friend of Buffy's. He had lived his life without content until now. He was a man.


	7. Reversal of Fortune

Brittany sat down in the chair inside the kitchen. Without asking, Giles poured her a cup of tea to her liking and placed it in front of her. She gave him thanks with a nod.

"Again, I have to say I'm sorry about Xander," he told her as he took a seat beside her.

"Thank you. The same goes with you and Buffy."

Giles to Brittany's knowledge had been a strong mentor to Buffy for years. Only Giles, in her opinion, was the only man who should be close to the Slayer. Not Xander.

"We're not that close," he said bluntly.

"You guys were, I believe. Not sexually, but you know, like Father and Daughter, am I correct?"

"Yes," he said, nodding. "Her father left her mother when she was a sophomore in high school. From then on, I guess you can make that comparison."

"I can hardly bear having Xander gone, especially with another woman. They're probably fucking right now," she said. "I heard about Buffy and Spike... Is that true? I mean, from what Xander told me, she did Spike frequently and she didn't really know the guy..."

"Slow down, there." Giles paused for a moment, and then took a deep breath. "From what I saw was that Spike was coming on to Buffy, not her. Buffy is not known to come on to guys. She's usually suckered in."

"So, you don't think Xander will sucker her in?"

"Well I think Xander above all the men I know has the right to have Buffy." He saw Brittany frown. "Of course, if he were single. But I doubt he will sucker her in... it's really not his character."

"That's true, I guess." She made a short laugh. "I mean, I kind of came on to Xander. He was one of those guys you meet once in a lifetime." When she stopped speaking, there was a ponderous silence in the room. Giles was sitting peacefully, motionless and speechless in his chair. Brittany could feel her chest hurt from loneliness. "Have you ever had a relationship that just vanished?"

He looked straight at her and shook his head. "No, not really."

"I bet you have, Giles. In fact, there's no way you hadn't. Like did anything happen to your girlfriends?"

"Why are you asking me? Don't you have any other friends to ask?"

Very quietly, she said, "I wouldn't have friends if I asked them questions like that."

His eyes narrowed at her intently. "What makes you think I'm your friend? We barely know each other."

She glanced towards the alcove where her clothes were hanging. "I guess I'll go then." He grabbed her arm. Stunned, she gazed at him. "You don't want me to go?"

Giles didn't know what he wanted. He surely did want her to leave so it would reduce the chances of her coming upon the time travel books he hid in the cabinet. But something about her wanted him to make her stay.

He shrugged. "I don't mind the company."

For a moment, Brittany was too shocked to say a word. She gazed into his eyes. "You sure about that?"

"Why not?"

He slid his chair closer to hers until they were sitting right next to each other. Slightly inclining his head, he pressed his lips against hers. Not being pushed away, he continued to press his lips harder against hers.

Finally he pulled back, and looked at her. "It's okay if you want to leave..."

"You know what Giles, you're not too boring after all." She lowered her hand to his collar and tugged him into a deep kiss. It was an affectionate, not passionate kiss. One of mutual admiration for one another.

As they pulled a part again, their breathing was noisy and was the only sound in the apartment. "You want to go up to my bedroom?" Giles asked.

Brittany's eyes closed. She paused for a moment to reflect. For a second, she thought of Xander and how sickening it would be to be with another man while in a relationship. But he was gone and not with her. She gazed down at Giles for a long time before saying, "I'll follow you."

March 28, 193 A.D

The Senate was the Pertinax's most beloved place to be. He knew as he circled around the senate forum that he'd hear all of them applauding and chanting his name before the day was done. The senate had prepared a meeting for him, as they did every day, but this day was special. They were publicly thanking him for blaming palace officials of embezzlement for taking away funds from the imperial treasury. It was a day that Pertinax would cherish for a while.

"Something on your mind, Caesar, that you should discuss to us?" one of the senators asked. The senator had noticed Pertinax's uneasiness standing in the middle of the hundred of them.

"No, nothing. I am just honored to be in the company of you wise old men."

"Have a drink, Caesar. To glorify your first noble action as Emperor." One of the senators passed along a glass of wine through the crowd of senators. Pertinax took it out from the crowd and put the glass to his mouth. "Drink Caesar! Drink!"

Pertinax gulped down the wine and placed the glass on the floor. He then made his way back to the center of the forum, his cape flowing elegantly behind him.

"Your wife said that she wants you at the Palatine today. She says you've been off in Ostia too long," a senator said.

"Oh... What did she say by any chance?" Pertinax asked as he wiped his wet lips with his hand.

"She said you're a good father, but that you're missing too much time from your kids."

Pertinax's moving hands stopped, and he took a step back.

He eyed the crowd. "Well, what can you expect from an Emperor?"

The senators chuckled at his remark. The same senator added, "Yes, well, we, the senators, are giving you the day off. You should make the most of it."

Pertinax turned away and occupied himself staring at all of the senators' faces in the crowd. He spotted one of the notable senators and friend of his sitting at the top of the seats. "Marcus Didius Julianus, what do you think my friend? Should I take a day off?"

"There's really no reason for you not to, Caesar," he said, glad that he was the one to offer the Emperor the day off. "On the other hand, Caesar, we know you to be a soldier and soldiers themselves do not take days off."

Pertinax circled back around to look at Marcus after seeing the senators. "I will take the day off," he said. "I will stay with my wife..." He looked at the senators and grinned. "And I will spend time with my children."

The forum roared with applause. Pertinax smiled at the crowd. He enjoyed every minute of it. His father had been a slave and somehow he had managed to rise up through the ranks of commander to governor and then to Emperor. He had withstood more importantly, a tyrannical reign by Commodus. This was what all his life he had worked for and dreamed of. Respect from the senate.

Pulcher chose to ignore the applause from inside the forum and hoped he would ignore the goofy grin that the noise had caused him to show on his face. He directed his attention to the Praetorian Guard standing in front of him.

"O god, I could be tortured and strangled from the arms of Jupiter and be choked for an eternity, were it not that we can finally end this bastard's life!"

"Rome is a prison!" one of the soldiers yelled.

"The dream of Rome is but a lie," Pulcher replied, obviously more at ease now that someone of the guard had agreed with what he had said. "I told you men earlier that we alone can choose who we want as Emperor! Pertinax, to his credit, has for 87 long days avoided death and numerous assassination plots. He even dared to kill my friends in this guard: Vatinius, Atius, Litaviccus, and Brannovices. While he lets the true and real culprit, Falco, get off with just a pardon! We are better than scum, aren't we?"

"Yes!" the guard chanted.

Pulcher crossed his arms. "Look, I am not an ambitious man. My muscles are bigger than my brain I tell you, but in my lifetime, I want an Emperor I can look up to. It is not that hard to find one, is there?"

"Yes, there are, Pulcher. There are a hundred senators in that forum and I bet any of them can carry Rome on its shoulders," one of the guard said.

"And pay us well!" added another, creating some angry tension amongst the guard.

"Oh, there are a lot of men alright. If the best Emperor we can get is the father of a slave than god save Rome," Pulcher said sharply.

"So how? How can we kill him without arising civil war?" Considius asked.

"He's right," a soldier hastened to say. "Pertinax is beloved by the Senate. As soon as we kill him, the Senate will be wanting to chop off our heads!"

Blood rushed to Pulcher's head. He attributed it to outrage. "Actually, we are more powerful than the senate will ever be! All they do is talk, which gets nothing done. It is action that gets things accomplished and it's obvious that Pertinax has aligned himself with the senate and prefers talk over action!"

Horns went off from inside the forum. All of the guards turned their heads to see what was going on. Pulcher stared deep into the forum, seeing if he could spot Pertinax. "I swear I would kill him right now if I had the chance..."

Arpineius knelt beside the forum steps. He was set a part from all of the other guardsmen, alone at the top of the stairs. He traced his sword along the marble, carving letters into the stone. He glanced up at Pulcher. "May you give me the chance to strike the fatal blow?"

Slightly startled, Pulcher spun around. He saw Arpineius looking at him eagerly. "I don't know, my friend. I say, whoever gets to him first takes their blow and everyone else can get a say in it." He walked across the top of the marble stairs, watching the guards. He pulled out his sword impatiently, directing it at the crowd. "Swear upon my sword that you all will be willing to kill and possibly die for what we are doing! If we fail to unite against Pertinax, I promise you he will get rid of us all one by one..."

"We swear!" the collective group of guards said, agreeing with Pulcher's oath.

The cheering continued in the forum. Undaunted by the cheering, Pulcher fastened his sword into its pouch on his waist. He looked like an Emperor, especially with the way he walked, holding his sword with his right hand.

Coming from outside the forum, Cimberius said to Pulcher, "Pertinax says he'll be in the Imperial Palace all day. So we should just pick the right time and go in."

Pulcher nodded and, in a voice as formal and soothing as his introduction to the Praetorian Guard, he said, "Thank you Cimberius. Do you know anything about the people that will be guarding the palace?"

"Not entirely." He reached up to stroke his cheek. Addressing Pulcher, he said, "I'd say about twenty."

Pulcher's face lit up and his lips curved into a radiant smile. He looked at the men gathered in front of him and back at Cimberius. "We have over two hundred men who have agreed to help dispatch Pertinax. There are a hundred other soldiers from a camp not far from here who will join us in a couple of hours."

"Wow, that's pretty good," Cimberius confessed quietly.

Pulcher extended his arm and placed it on his shoulder. "I'm starting to finally like you, Cimberius."

"Thank you, Pulcher. You had to beat it in me for me to understand," he answered, though he seemed a little agitated by his approach.

A soldier jerked his head out from the group of soldiers. "What about the execution? Without Pertinax, the lovers won't be executed!"

Pulcher shared a lengthy stare with the soldier. "You tell me what's more important today... An execution or getting rid of an Emperor who's done everything he can to degrade our power?"

Several moments elapsed before the soldier lowered his head and blended back in with the soldiers.

Arpineius planted his sword firmly against the marble and leaned his head far across from it. "Pulcher, are you sure we should delay the execution? I mean... we can always kill the Emperor. He trusts us just as much as he does with the Senate."

Pulcher sensed that Arpineius was not educated with the past. "Arpineius, have you forgotten? There was a conspiracy just this month amongst us! There is no way he trusts us! He probably doesn't even trust you... Hell I heard he kicked you in the face!"

"My god!" the soldiers exclaimed in a disbelieving scowl.

Arpineius nodded. "It is true. But that in itself is not grounds for killing an Emperor."

Pulcher gave Arpineius a masculine laugh. "Have I mentioned this at all? We are killing him because he has aligned himself with the senate! That only means one thing... A republic... Hell even that crazy fuck Commodus was smarter than this man to stray away from a republic..."

Arpineius lifted up his sword from the ground and frowned. "I just feel we can wait another day that's all." He glanced at the crowd. "Can we wait another day!"

"You listen to me, Arpineius," Pulcher said sternly, pointing his finger at his friend. "As I told that man who asked about the execution... You do the math. What is more important? Seeing an execution or getting rid of this Emperor... Besides, if you want, we'll make sure the Emperor executes those people."

Arpineius looked baffled. "Okay, I guess you're right."

Pulcher's expression turned to stone as he stared at the crowd. "Here's the plan. All of us are going to meet at the Temple of Apollo, which is just a walk from Palatine Hill. We're going to act like we're just quarreling and having fun then at a time of our choosing, we storm the Imperial Palace and kill Pertinax."

Considius contemplated what Pulcher had said for a moment. The information was coming too fast and furious to take in. "So what are we doing?"

"Somebody tell poor Considius what's going on," Pulcher laughed. He plowed his fingers through his hair as he watched a soldier fill in Considius. "Look guys, I love every one of you. Killing Pertinax will only better our lives, trust me. And as a reward, we're get more sesterces... I'm certain!"

Xander read the engraved names on the walls of his cell that prisoners in the past had written on. He glanced at the names and dates inscribed on the walls. After scanning many of the names, he sank to the floor and lay there. His heart was feeling like a stone. "I am going to die today," he thought simply.

He leaned back on the floor, resting his elbows there, and supporting his head against the wall. Cold tears were forming around his eyes, making him wipe his eyes with his hand. "God, if only I could see Buffy," he thought. "Not right before I die."

Across his cell, he could see an inmate sleeping on his stool. His head was bent over, touching his knees. The floors were so rigid that the stool offered the only soft spot in the cells.

Xander had to keep reminding himself that he would get out of the jail soon. He despised the jail and its conditions. He figured that he would be happy just to go outside of the jail, even if it was for an execution.

He began to think of Cato and his family. He knew that he should not have brought Buffy to Cato's. It wasn't so much Buffy's getting into trouble that made him upset but it was his own stubbornness. If he had kept Buffy away from a good family, like Cato's, he would have saved their lives. On the other hand, he was happy to have prevented Cato from killing his wife. Even though he did not prevent her shortly after from being killed by a soldier.

He remembered that if he did not get spotted from the scaffold, the Praetorian Guard would have never searched for him or Buffy. Buffy had wisely decided to run out of the scaffold without hesitation and the men did not see her. It was he who was discovered because he panicked. "I'm the one to blame," he thought.

Cursing at his mistake, Xander watched a prison guard walk past the cell. He wished he could be a free man again, be at a warm bed to relax, kiss Buffy, and talk to Illeana. Xander didn't know what happened to Illeana but he hoped that whatever it was, it happened quickly.

Cato's wife and daughter, he thought now, shaking his head in disbelief. It was strange to remember how well he connected with the twelve-year-old girl. Her mother, Acacia, also shared a bond with him that could not compare to any other woman he met. Both were now presumably dead. "Two great females dead because of me. And soon to be... Buffy." His thoughts were starting to get to him.

As he sat against the wall, he cursed the person who sent him to Rome, just as he did the first day he arrived. At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder if coming to Rome wasn't the best thing that ever happened to him. He loved Buffy more than anything in the world and had the pleasure of making out with her for hours. He'd bet anything it would never happen in Sunnydale.

The Imperial Palace on Palatine Hill where Pertinax and his close bodyguards gathered was very spacious, very Romanesque, and comfortable. There were huge life-size busts of all the former Roman Emperors running the length of the far wall that connected with the lavish living room. The marble floor was covered with numerous Persian carpets, while the pillars maintaining the structure were backed heavily with strong pinewood. Far past the entrance were drapes and curtains hiding some of the more private rooms.

When Pertinax came trotting into the Palace, many of the servants bowed their head in honor of him. Pertinax spotted his wife, Flavia Titania, watering one of the many plants in the palace. He didn't speak to her at first sight and instead went behind her without her taking notice. As she poured a bucket of water onto some of the delicate green herbs, Pertinax watched her from behind with his penetrating eyes. His wife turned around to see what was staring at her and yelped.

Pertinax laughed. "Easy there, my love. I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay, dear. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be doing some work for the Empire?"

"I'm not today, I can promise you that," he assured her.

His wife, Flavia, had known him all of his life. They were only friends up until Commodus' turn to megalomania, where they soon married. They had loved each other, matured with age, withstood all of the pains of Roman life, and bore two children, a son and a daughter. Flavia was much younger than Pertinax, who was 66-years-old; she had been born ten years younger than him. Still, she saw Pertinax as a handsome, kind old man. She was two inches smaller than Pertinax, with black hair and dark eyes, and her skin shaded tan. She found herself in awestruck of her husband.

"I'm glad a man of your stature can spend a day with your family," she told him.

Pertinax had to smile. He was just as excited, as she was that he was with her. "Don't worry, Flavia. I will make a habit of it in the future, I promise."

"Don't you go making promises, now Pertinax. Remember the promise you made to our son Publius? You said you would take him to Ostia last week."

"Flavia, honey. Did you know what happened in Ostia?"

Flavia poured the last bit of water onto the plants, set the bucket down and walked around the curtains of her bedroom, which was in the center of the palace. She headed into the curtains, leaving Pertinax to follow her into the room. Pertinax hustled over beside her and took a seat next to her on the bed. He took her hand.

"Yes I do, Pertinax. I'm sorry you had to go through that. It took me so much by surprise that I nearly died of a heart attack..." She paused for a moment, looking him into the eyes. "Somebody wants you dead, Pertinax. It is a matter of time until they finally succeed in killing you."

Shadows passed through the curtains and Pertinax stared at them warily. He focused on his wife, smiling bitterly. "No one wants me dead, dear. I got rid of the conspirators. Falco, himself, was exiled. I rooted out all the evil."

His wife nodded, swallowing hard, hoping that he was right. "But remember, Pertinax, if you are dead, your family will be dead as well. So, whatever you do, stay alive."

"I have for three months," he murmured, smiling.

"Commodus reigned for twelve years!"

"Damn, Flavia. You know Commodus had to endure many assassination plots."

"His father was Marcus Aurelius, dear. He had support from veterans and the Praetorian Guard. Your father was a slave."

"Yes, I know."

Flavia was quiet for a moment. She leaned back against the bed, not taking her eye off of her husband. "Of course, Commodus had no assassination attempts in his first three months. Hell, it took two years for the first conspiracy."

"Flavia, you don't understand. This is merely politics. It'll boil over."

Flavia didn't respond. She frowned suddenly. "What if it doesn't?"

"If it doesn't, I guess I'll continue to prosecute and execute the conspirators," he said. "Honestly, Flavia, I don't see why you're so worried."

"I'm tired, that's all," she told him. "Every time I hear an assassination attempt on you, it worries me."

A deep, masculine voice suddenly spoke out. "Father!"

Pertinax swung around. His son, Publius, had entered the room. He smiled at him, getting up and hugging him, something he hadn't done in a month.

Flavia jumped up, turning to see her son. She was more paranoid than ever of any assassination attempt.

Pertinax broke the hug, touching his son's cheeks. "You're growing older each day, my son. Soon you'll be a man." The young boy smiled up at him. "I heard that you have been wrestling pretty well with your friends. How has that been going?"

"Been going good. Father-" he said, biting his lip. "Will you come tour the city with me today?"

"I would indeed, if I wasn't so tired, today. We can do it another time, my boy."

The young boy frowned. "Okay."

As Flavia walked around the two, Pertinax gazed at his son. "Where is your sister?"

Publius groaned. "She locked herself in her room. She says that I bother her too much."

"Son, remember... there are other women out there for you. Loving your sister is much too easy," he said, smiling sheepishly.

"Ah, father, don't tell me that. I love my sister as a sibling, nothing more."

Pertinax grinned at him skeptically. "Yes, but when you get older and can't find any women, who are you going to marry?"

"Stop it!" Publius demanded, seeming happy and amused.

A messenger pushed through the curtains. "Caesar, sorry to bother you, but there are some papers of business the senate wants you to sign."

"So?" Pertinax asked.

The messenger extended the papers in his hands for Pertinax to see. "Here, sign them."

"Hmm," Pertinax said, his eyes round. "When they give me the day off, I expect the day off."

"I know, Caesar, but they're only a few papers."

"I'll sign them tomorrow. Leave my sight," he said dryly. He grinned, looking at his son. "Power is a good thing, my son."

Publius smiled, his eyes bright. "Do you think someday I will be Emperor?"

Pertinax looked at his son, suddenly upset. "Son, I pray to god that you won't be Emperor."

"Why?"

"It is a dangerous thing. I, myself, did not want to be Emperor," he said, leading his son out of the room and through the curtains.

"Then what made you become one?" Publius asked him.

He sighed. "The Praetorian Guard."

"Really?"

Once they had left the room, Pertinax came around and knelt in front of his son. He took out something from his pocket while suppressing a yawn. The object swirled around in his hands as he handed it to his son. It was a necklace with an emblem of his face on it. "Son, keep this with you for the rest of your life. It will bring you good luck."

He nodded. "But father, what about your luck? Wouldn't you need this?"

Pertinax thought quietly as he heard noises all throughout the Palace. He stood up and patted his son on the head. "I've lived sixty-six years. I've already had enough luck in my life."

Pertinax started walking away in the palace, then froze to turn and take a look at his son. His son watched him, exhaling.

"Goodbye, son."

Publius half-smiled, staring down at the necklace. He'd been lucky to have such a great father.

Brittany laid peacefully, her legs curled beneath the covers, in Giles' bed that was surrounded by mountains of books. She looked out the window. The sun was bright, showering the room with its rays.

It was magical. The whole room was magical. It was the perfect place to have sex.

How ironic it would be with Giles.

She sensed Giles coming out from the bathroom to stand beside the bed. "You're going to have to leave soon," he told her.

She sighed, running her hands through her brunette locks. "I know."

"I will continue to look harder for the whereabouts of Buffy and Xander."

Brittany was silent, thoughtful. "I don't care, anymore, Giles. They're gone. I'm tired of searching."

Giles smiled lightly. As far as he was concerned, he had succeeded in masking a mistake he had made. At the sleepover, he had brought his bag containing a time portal to a selected period, hoping for him to use it or even share it with Buffy and her friends. He hadn't anticipated on forgetting it or getting it taken by Xander. In a sense, he was pleased that the portal had actually worked. It had taken him many months to create it.

Brittany shivered. She glanced at Giles. "Can we have sex again?"

Giles slipped into the covers alongside Brittany. For a moment he stared at her lovely face and wondered how he had managed to sleep with such a young, beautiful woman.

She snuggled in beside him, her chest touching his. She could feel his hands chilling her shoulders and then resting on her back.

She didn't love Giles, but she liked him. There had been too many instances in her life when the opportunity arose for her to cheat on her partner and she refused. She stared at Giles, feeling his hands on her hips, hearing him sigh. "So much for that," she thought.

Giles kissed her. "Get dressed. Remember, if you need anything, just give me a call."

Feeling disappointed, Brittany slid off the bed to her feet. She hurried to put on her clothes.

Frowning, Giles leaned his head back against his pillow. "Slow down..."

Brittany turned to look at Giles. She was stunned that he would watch her so closely change into her clothes.

"Whatever you want," she told him.

Shaking, she suddenly removed the clothes she had hurried to put on. Slowly, she began to pull her panties, thong, and skirt up her legs. All the while, staring into Giles' eyes. And, like she was in a strip club, she could see Giles being openly aroused by what she was doing. Until now, she had felt that she had managed keeping the many months she had with Xander in tact. She knew that moment that she had lost control. "How could I ever tell him if he came back?" she thought.

"Eh, here comes Cato to say hello!" exclaimed a friend of his.

For a couple of seconds as he walked, he continued to stare at his friend. "Cornelius. You heard about what happened to my home... my family?"

Cornelius glanced quickly from one of his friends to the other, before shrugging. "No, Cato... what happened?"

Cato looked at Cornelius. Reading his thoughts, Cato could tell that Cornelius was not serious enough to digest what he would tell him. The tavern's beer always seemed to have an affect on its customers.

"Never mind, I will see you later Cornelius," he said, heading for the exit.

Cornelius placed his cup on a table and followed Cato out the door. He placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, holding him back. "What's wrong, Cato? Tell me what happened, friend..."

Cato walked outside into the city, growing more agitated at the sight of all the people roaming around. He needed to find somewhere to vent his anger, he thought. He glanced at Cornelius. "I'll tell you, later." He started to head off into the crowds of people but Cornelius held him back again.

"Cato, my friend... I am sorry if I do not have all my wits at the moment, but you must tell what is on your mind..."

The agony of expressing what happened to one of his friends was unbearable. He heard some horses galloping on the concrete and he walked towards the sound. "I need to buy a horse," Cato said.

Cornelius followed Cato, where he was chasing after the galloping. "Cato, what about Sunset and Stormy?"

Cato continued to distance himself from Cornelius. "What? You didn't see the burning smoke rising above from the woods?"

Cornelius managed to grab hold of Cato's toga and swung him around to face him. He noticed that Cato's hands were shaking. "Cato, what is wrong?"

"No, Cornelius. I do not feel like telling you anymore. I am too sick to discuss it. As I said, I want to buy a horse." He leaned in the direction of the horses, but Cornelius held him back. "God, what do you want from me?"

Cornelius gritted his teeth, folding his arms over his chest. "I haven't seen you for weeks, Cato. This is the greeting I receive?"

He pushed his way past him, determined to find out where the horses were or if they were his.

Cornelius stopped, watching him walk off into the crowd. "Cato! Come back!"

Cato continued down the road from where he stood with Cornelius. He had to find a place to go where he could stay. He realized as he walked further away from Cornelius, that he was the only friend that would allow him to stay at his home. It was too late though, as Cato went stubbornly after the horses.

The Praetorian Guard and other legions loyal to Pulcher stood gathered at the Temple of Apollo. It had been a long time for Pulcher since he had seen so many people ready to die for his cause.

Pulcher had never actually been a general, but from the Germanic wars he was involved with as a young man under Marcus Aurelius, he did have hundreds of men in his core who were willing to die for him.

Pulcher pulled out his sword and laid it on the floor of the Temple. He bent down to study the frame working of it. He hoped that he would be the one to deal the fatal blow to Pertinax. He reached out his finger, touching the pointed edge of the sword. Red drops of blood came from his finger as he lifted it back up to suck on it with his mouth.

"Pulcher, how long do we have to wait?" a soldier asked him.

"Almost time," he muttered, still sucking on his index finger.

The soldier laughed and smiled softly. "It's going to be an adrenaline rush storming the Palace."

"Don't get too excited," Pulcher said, standing up. "I know the personal guards at the Palace. If they do not let us through, I do not want us massacring them."

"What? We have to get a nod of approval by them? We have more than three hundred men!"

Ignoring the man's growing edginess, Pulcher waved to Arpineius to come inside the Temple. Arpineius started to quickly walk towards him.

Once inside the temple, Arpineius stopped next to Pulcher. "Yes, Pulcher?"

"Remember he's one man. We don't need to get bloodthirsty and kill everyone in sight. This is not a revolution, just an assassination." There was a brief silence between them. "Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, now tell the men waiting outside what I told you and I will tell the soldiers inside this temple... I don't want a single person to not know what I had just said, okay?"

"Yes, Pulcher," Arpineius said. He turned and headed straight outside the Temple.

"Pulcher, did you hear what I said? We have three hundred men!" the soldier said once again.

"They're my men," he said, staring into the soldier's eyes. "You are a part of my men. You will do as I wish."

"But use common sense, Pulcher!" he said impatiently. "Why would we care what a handful of guards do when we have three hundred men charging!"

Pulcher was amazed to see one of his soldiers so taken and excited by what he was doing. To him, killing an Emperor was not something for fun, but a necessity to the Empire.

"Are you going to listen to me?" the soldier demanded.

Pulcher eased back, trying to remain calm. "What is your name?"

The soldier stared defiantly at him. "Fufius."

Pulcher looked over Fufius' shoulder at some guards gathered at the corner of the Temple. There were others walking towards that group.

"Excuse me, men!" Pulcher said to the group gathered in the corner. They all fixated their eyes onto him. Pulcher set his hands on Fufius' shoulder. "We have a man loyal to Pertinax here! His name is Fufius! Dispatch him at once!"

Fufius shook his head frantically. "No! He's lying! I'm not!"

Pulcher stared at Fufius and he couldn't seem to draw his gaze away from him. He was furious and he wanted Fufius to know how angry he was. Death would be the best way to show him.

Three soldiers, trying to lure him backwards by grasping him, pulled Fufius back. "He's lying! You bastard!" Fufius yelled vehemently. And then he added before being thrown against the wall and executed, "I'll see you in hell!"

Pulcher smiled, and the other guards beside him chuckled, as well. Except for Arpineius, who looked offended from outside.

In a few minutes, the laughter had stopped. Arpineius was at Pulcher's side, staring at him. A moment later, a guard brought back the severed head of Fufius.

"What should I do this, Pulcher?" the soldier asked, holding onto the hair of the head.

"Give it as an offering to Apollo!" he laughed.

"As you wish," the soldier grumbled, going straight into the middle of the Temple.

Pulcher continued to laugh until he noticed Arpineius' cold stare. His smile faded. "What's bothering you, Arpineius?"

"Did you remember what I told you yesterday, Pulcher? We must avoid internally wiping us out, it is wrong!" Arpineius said.

"The hell with him," Pulcher thought. "There is no difference between killing our Emperor, is it not?"

Arpineius remained tense, watching Pulcher with the same anger he had towards Xander at Cato's household. "Watch what you're doing next time, or I might have to report your atrocities..."

"You need witnesses," Pulcher said. "And you do know... I can execute you too if I wanted to."

Arpineius shook his head. "I'm glad you won't be Emperor. You wouldn't last a day..."

Suddenly Pulcher grabbed onto Arpineius and held on to his collar tightly. He stood grasping onto his uniform just inside the Temple. "I highly recommend you not being in my sight when we charge the Palace... or you will be dead."

"I should be warning you, my friend," Arpineius said, breaking free from Pulcher's grasp. "Damn," he began, looking into Pulcher's dark eyes. "We're better than this, Pulcher... Come on..."

Pulcher returned the stare back at him, hoping his sudden burst of anger would ease away. He couldn't seem to stop his temper. Then, he relaxed. "Yeah, I think your right." There was absolutely no doubt that Pulcher knew Arpineius was right. Both were well-respected leaders of the Guard and should not be arguing and fighting like children.

Arpineius arched an eyebrow. "So... are you ready?"

Pulcher turned and looked at the men inside the Temple, then back at Arpineius. "Give me a minute, I need to tell my soldiers to not be bloodthirsty..."

Arpineius put a hand on his shoulder. "No need, friend. I told the men outside to spread the word," he whispered. "We shouldn't be stalling any longer or the senators will wonder what is going on."

"Okay." He turned and called for his soldiers to leave the Temple. Then he looked at Arpineius. "Get your sword out."

Both Arpineius and Pulcher stepped down the steps in front of the Temple of Apollo into an array of soldiers. As they walked towards the soldiers, the soldiers separated themselves, allowing an alley for Pulcher and Arpineius to walk through to go to the front.

None of the soldiers had ever attacked without being ordered to by a general. Now they were being ordered. This time they were being ordered by a veteran Praetorian Guard officer, hungry to kill the Emperor.

"Here we go," Pulcher thought. He started to run and Arpineius followed behind. Once Pulcher and Arpineius had reached the front of the hundreds of men, they began to run fixedly at the Imperial Palace, only a hundred yards away.

"Extract your swords and charge!" Pulcher yelled at the top of his lungs, racing quickly at the palace.

The footsteps of the hundreds of soldiers shook the city like an earthquake. They headed towards the palace with incredible speed. With Pulcher in the direct lead, he could feel the palace coming closer. When he was in reasonable distance of the palace, he raised his sword high and held it there.

Around the soldiers were bystanders gasping in horror. They watched helplessly as the soldiers ran into and past the opened palace gates.

"Where do you think he is?" Arpineius asked, shortly behind Pulcher.

Pulcher grinned and said, "I don't know, but he's somewhere in the palace."

Pertinax awoke with a pounding in his head. He looked around his room and noticed that all of shadows through the curtain were running in all different directions.

He looked around and saw the similar figure of his messenger sitting down. "Hirtius, what is going on?"

The messenger's shadow broke through the curtains. "I honestly do not know, Caesar... You want me to check?"

Pertinax winced slightly, trying to block the rays of sunlight that was piercing through his eyes. "Do so..."-The messenger nodded. "Hurry!"

Instantly, Hirtius darted out of the curtains, running towards the entrance to see what all of the commotion was all about.

Pertinax turned his attention to his sleeping wife, who lay beside him. Her head was resting peacefully on the bed, as Pertinax stroked her hair.

"What is it, dear?" she said, opening her eyes.

Realization came over Pertinax. What she had told him began to play in his head. 'Somebody wants you dead, Pertinax. It is a matter of time until they finally succeed in killing you.' He shook his head of the thought.

As he contemplated what was going on, Hirtius walked into the room, out of breath. "What is it, Hirtius?"

With hesitation, Hirtius began, "There's hundreds of soldiers coming up to the palace carrying swords, Caesar. It looks like they are coming here to see you."

Pertinax closed his eyes, feeling another assassination attempt coming. "Are they running, Hirtius?"

"Yes, Caesar," he said regrettably. "They want you dead."

"Seal the gates," he told Hirtius, standing up, pulling his sleeping wife up with him.

"Caesar, they already made it through the gates," Hirtius said.

Pertinax pointed a few feet away at the front door. "Then close and lock the damn doors!" he yelled.

"Pertinax, what's wrong?" his wife asked, wiping her eyes.

He looked at his wife, who still couldn't snap out of her grogginess. He moved to pull her out of the room, but suddenly she pushed him away.

She watched over his shoulder, many shadows running past the curtain, screaming. "Their coming to kill you again, aren't they?"

Pertinax frowned. "Yes. There are hundreds of men charging the palace. It's insanity."

"Then you need to get out of here, dear..." she murmured impatiently as her hands pushed him through the room.

He brought her hands down, and stopped her from pushing him. Images of the past and the many attempts against his life rushed through his mind. Using his knowledge and skill of talking to each soldier, he figured out a plan to get the soldiers away. He would talk the soldiers down from killing him.

"Why are you stopping me? You need to go!" she screamed.

Pertinax moved out and through the curtain, as he had done many times before. If there was anything an Emperor could do, he could use his power and might to awe them with his appearance. And hopefully win them over with his words.

"Pertinax!" his wife cried.

Pertinax looked at Flavia with a soft smile. "Don't worry, dear. I am going to talk those soldiers out of it."

"No, don't! You'll die!"

"I am tired of running away from the conspirators," he said in a harsh tone. "I should confront them for once."

Flavia reached her hands out, brushing her fingers against his cheek. She moved forward on her tiptoes, and kissed him hard on the mouth. Moving away, she gazed into his eyes. "I love you. Whatever happens, I love you."

He smiled at her. His wife had always been supportive of whatever he did. He staggered away from her into a group of palace guards, who were scrambling around trying to figure out what to do. He moved towards the front door as if everything was normal. He turned his head and looked at his wife one last time.

"I love you, Pertinax!" she called.

"I love you too, dear," he said softly, just loud enough for her to hear.

The soldiers scurried up the steps of the Imperial Palace stealthily. Pulcher and those behind him slipped past the palace guards who were too disillusioned to care to stop the soldiers from coming into the palace. With their speed as quick as lightning, the soldiers were reaching the front door.  
Suddenly the door opened.

"Halt!" Pulcher yelled, reaching his arms out to hold the excited soldiers from rushing in.

A figure moved through the darkness of the open door. To their shock, Pertinax emerged, wearing a white toga, shining from the sunlight.

In the front huddle of soldiers, Pulcher watched Pertinax walk forward with an air of defiance.

Pertinax looked at the faces of the soldiers' wanting to kill him, who was all holding swords in their hands.

"Please, men..." Pertinax began loudly. "This is not necessary."

"You're wrong!" Pulcher responded.

Pertinax looked at his Praetorian Guard and other soldiers and sighed. "This is impossible... Why have you come here to kill me? Does it have to do with the Senate?"

"You naïve bastard!" Pulcher yelled.

"Do I know you?" Pertinax asked, a level of curiosity in his expression. A handful of soldiers laughed.

Pulcher frowned. "I am Pulcher."

Pertinax's eyes widened slightly as realized who it was. "Pulcher? You're one of the most respected men in the Praetorian Guard. Why do you lead an army to kill me?"

"You wouldn't understand," Pulcher said grimly, determination evident in his eyes.

Pertinax peered over the soldiers and was shocked to see at least to his estimation, three hundred men standing, looking at him. He sighed. "Men, go home! You don't want to do this..."

"Oh we do!" one of the soldiers said, thrusting his sword in Pertinax's direction and missing his chest barely.

"Wait! All of you stop!" Pertinax yelled, stumbling back next to the door.

"Why should we!" a soldier yelled.

Pertinax bravely summoned up the courage to walk closer  
towards the soldiers, in a distance where a sword can easily stab him. His mind kept on wandering on what to tell the soldiers. A part of him believed he could talk his way out through bribery and reason. The other part of him realized he would die. And even if he was going to die, he wanted to die on his terms, saying what he wanted to say.

"You and I both know..." Pertinax managed to mutter, suppressing a cough. "That Rome is an Empire. An empire that is ruled by an Emperor-"

"Soon to be dead!" laughed a soldier.

Pertinax continued, "I, the Emperor, have the power to meet all of your demands. Whatever has motivated you to storm my palace to kill me, I guarantee you, you will meet that great motivation with great rewards..."

"How much?" asked an interested soldier.

"However much you want," he answered, visibly shaken by the pressure of all the soldiers. "Look, men, if its satisfaction you want, I have the money. Hell, upon being Emperor, I personally thanked you with payments, don't you remember?"

Some soldiers looked down after his words, shaken by the truthfulness and boldness of his expression. Some of the soldiers began to leave sadly and head towards the exit of the palace.

Pulcher glanced at the soldiers leaving the group from behind. He knew that if Pertinax kept it up, he probably could convince another group of soldiers from leaving.

"I am a soldier, just like you. Most of the other Emperors were made simply through blood... while I had to work to get here from the ground up!" he stated in a loud, frustrated voice.

"We have to kill him now," Pulcher whispered to one of his consorts.

"All of you, please, I have lived my life like you, in the depths of manual labor and in the army..."

"Die old man!" a soldier said, as he shot out from the group, aiming his sword at Pertinax. Pertinax leaped out of the way, causing the man to crash his sword into the palace walls.

"What the hell..." Pertinax said.

"Ahhh!" the men screamed as they rushed after Pertinax.

Pulcher lashed out his sword and was the first to reach Pertinax. "The soldiers have sent you this sword!" he yelled.

Pertinax held up his hands in fright as he fell to the ground. "No, please!"

The deep rumbling of footsteps coming closer to Pertinax was the last thing he heard. Swords quickly slammed into his chest and all over his body. Pulcher jammed his sword deep into Pertinax's stomach, causing blood to gush into his own face. Everywhere swords struck and connected with a part of Pertinax's body. More men continued to run to Pertinax to strike their blow.

Clutching his side, hurting in pain, Pertinax screamed a profanity.

"Kill him, dammit!" Pulcher yelled, jamming his sword up and down in a continuous motion into Pertinax's chest.

Sounds of metal going into human flesh went on for minutes. Finally, after withstanding the entire bloodbath, Pulcher staggered back, as did the rest of the soldiers. They watched Pertinax's bloody body intently. There must have been at least a hundred stab wounds on his body. He was dead.

"And from the heavens, Jupiter takes the Emperor Pertinax..." whispered Pulcher, taking a deep breath, wiping away some of the blood from his face.

Flavia ran so hard her legs were pumping. She slammed her body against the front door, opening it. She spotted the soldiers staring at a gory corpse. She looked at the body that resembled the same physique as her husband. "Pertinax!" she cried, running over to his slain body.

The soldiers all smiled at her as she stopped to cradle her husband's bloody head. Slowly the soldiers walked away carefully, taking one last look at the Emperor.

Arpineius hesitated, staring at the wife weeping over her late husband. "What have we done?" he thought. He heard his name being called, and he ran out, following the other soldiers.

Hours passed, and Xander was getting impatient from waiting for the soldiers to bring him out of the cell to his execution. He decided to not take a nap again, but instead chose to stare wide-eyed at the hallway through his cell. Every minute he was finding it hard to accept his predicament, but at the same time, he was starting to accept the situation.

The sounds of footsteps broke Xander's train of thought and caused him to stand up and look to who was coming.

Suddenly a prison guard came into view, running down the cell hallway.

"Hey you, what's wrong?" Xander said, peeking his head out through the bars.

The guard stopped, gasping out air in front of him. He walked closer until he was a whisper away from Xander. What Xander heard shocked him more than anything had ever done in his life.

The Emperor was dead.

As the guard pulled away, Xander grabbed his arm through the bars and yanked him back. "Am I getting executed?"

The guard gazed emptily at Xander. "You were Pertinax's prisoner, so you will be freed."

Xander could barely contain his excitement. "And Buffy?"

"She will be freed as well," he responded, his words threatening to overwhelm Xander.

Xander looked at the prison guard, not knowing what to say. "Uh... thanks."

"You will be freed in less than an hour. Just let me tell the other guards what had happened," he said, leaving upon Xander's nod of approval.

Xander watched the guard run gracefully down the hall. He felt like doing the same, but he knew there was nothing that could effectively show how he felt. Nonetheless, he pumped his fists in the air and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"FREEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!"


	8. Hail Who?

The stars were shining bright overhead as Pulcher eased open the entrance gates to the Praetorian camp and stepped into the field. Other soldiers quickly followed his approach; with the last of the fifty Praetorian guards shutting the gates behind them. "We're finally home," Pulcher said, walking to a small bonfire in the middle of the camp. "I'm happy."

After a couple of moments, Pulcher turned around and told his soldiers that everything was fine.

"Good," Arpineius said, looking behind him to make sure no one was following them. He saw nothing but Praetorian guards assimilated with the darkness. "So the other soldiers fled to another location?"

Pulcher's replied without emotion, "Yes, to their own camps."

"Why are you so grim?" Arpineius asked.

Pulcher let out a laugh. "Can you believe at this moment... we have no Emperor? This is one of the best times in Roman history..."

Arpineius held Pulcher's gaze for a few seconds, puzzled by his strange mood. He turned back to the other Praetorian guards who stood silently. "We're finished men. All we have to do now is find an Emperor."

"Too many candidates to count," Cimberius told him, walking away from the guards towards another section of the camp.

In the distance, a couple of Praetorian guards watched the other guards approach them intently from the entrance. An awkward smile fell onto one of the guards' lips, as he read the faces of each of the soldiers and the blood splattered on most of their armor. As the soldiers gathered closer, the man said, "You killed the Emperor, didn't you?"

"So you decided to stay and play it safe, Laberius?" Pulcher spoke loudly through the night.

Laberius grimaced. His decision to stay at the camp had put him at Pulcher's whim. Laberius became silent as his eyes became fixed on several figures that began to surround him. Pulcher stood in front of him.

"What? You think I stayed because I liked the guy?" he asked nervously, looking at the soldiers. "No, I just wasn't aware of the plans."

"I see," Pulcher said. His men were coming were facing towards the other man beside Laberius now, glaring at him suspiciously. "Cavarinus, what about you?" Pulcher had seen Cavarinus nod his head in agreement to what Laberius had said and saw a touch of nervousness on his face.

"Ahh... me, Pulcher?" he mumbled as his eyes glanced at Laberius then back at Pulcher. "I don't understand..."

Pulcher frowned. "I suppose your acts of staying here were intended for your own protection if we failed in our assassination," he said and then he laughed, "Excellent display of loyalty for the Praetorian guard."

"What are you talking about?"

There was a loud rumble from behind and Pulcher jerked when he heard it. He turned to see Cimberius standing on a bench speaking like a seasoned orator.

"Men, make sure we find an Emperor before sunrise. Because the Senate will not hesitate to pick their preferred candidate..."

Groans echoed through the camp, but Cimberius just gave them a grin and a funny look as he stepped down from the bench. As he walked away from the wooden bench, he looked up to see that Pulcher was in front of him.

"Hello, Pulcher," he said with a grin. "Was my speech too long?"

"Too short," he said casually, but despite his serious tone, he managed a smile. "Some of us should go scouting for some candidates."

"Ah... I don't know about that, Pulcher..." he said, staring at him carefully as he began bringing him away into a less crowded area. "We're in here because we don't know how the others will react. We might as well wait for someone to come."

As Pulcher walked with Cimberius, he said, "This is where we have to be resolute and strong, Cimberius. We cannot show our insecurities right now."

When Cimberius stopped and began to remove some of his armor, he turned and said, "You can find some candidates, Pulcher. I am really tired. And honestly..." He took a deep breath, letting it out like a whistle. "I can care less who is Emperor. As long as he pays us well."

Pulcher thought about what Cimberius had said for a second. He was telling the truth. What the Praetorian Guard really wanted was money. On the other hand, if there were anything more important than money to Pulcher, it would be the Emperor's reliance on the Praetorian Guard.

Pulcher's eyes fell onto Cimberius' armor and he lifted it up from the ground as he bit his lower lip. He examined it carefully and handed it back over to Cimberius. "You weren't even near Pertinax when we killed him, were you?"

Cimberius stood there, staring at the armor, and wondered if he had angered Pulcher. There was no blood or any signs of wear on his armor. He didn't know if Pulcher was going to push him into the wall and beat him again. "The others rushed in before me, Pulcher, and I didn't really get a chance to stab him."

Pulcher turned and pointed at the Praetorian Guards standing and conversing in the middle of the camp. "Well... if you see, my friend, almost half of our guard has blood on their armor... including mine..."

"I'm sorry-" he started, nodding at the truth that Pulcher had told him. He felt his stomach tighten before he could continue.

"No, it's fine, Cimberius," Pulcher said, noticing Cimberius' uneasiness. He gave him a look of reassurance. "I just thought that you'd want to get a piece of Pertinax."

He sighed. "I know, Pulcher. If I could have had a better opportunity, I would have went for the head..." He trailed off when his eyes caught sight of something terrible.

Pulcher frowned slightly and turned quickly. To his surprise, he saw one of the guardsmen bearing Pertinax's head on a pole. He looked at Cimberius with a goofy smile. "While on the topic of Pertinax's head..."

Cimberius stood watching Pertinax's bloody head being paraded around the camp by one of the guards. For a minute the only sound he could hear was the whistling of the blowing trees outside the camp. He stared up at the stars and waited for Pulcher to break the silence.

Eventually, Pulcher did. "I didn't know you had a liking for him," Pulcher admitted as he turned to see the decapitated head of Pertinax. "But it's over now, my friend. There will be better men."

Cimberius leaned back against a wall, trying to stare away from the head of Pertinax and at the distant stars beyond. He was upset- more upset than he had been since the assassination of Commodus on December 31. It had to all be attributed to his compassion for the leaders of the empire. "I don't know, Pulcher. Pertinax was a good moral person. Very moral compared to Commodus. We might have seen the last decent Emperor in our lifetime..." He paused, gazing into Pulcher's disapproving eyes. "He wasn't corrupt like most of the Emperors, Pulcher. What precedent are we setting by killing off and choosing Emperors like this? We are not the only citizens in the Empire-"

Pulcher gave a grunt, having heard enough of Cimberius' complaints. "I appreciate your boldness, Cimberius," he said. "But I just really think you are just saddened by his death. Anyone that dies, you let out your heart as if he or she was of your own blood. I have sensed this of you since you entered the guard." He hesitated, before adding, "I don't think the Praetorian Guard is the best place for you to be, my friend."

Taking a deep, aggravated breath, Cimberius headed away, carrying his armor into one of the nearby buildings.

Pulcher stood beside a pillar, contemplating the late Pertinax. It was strange that he had not really taken a moment to digest what he had done since killing the Emperor. He had also executed a fellow soldier at the Temple of Apollo because of a disagreement. In the fifteen years of being in the Praetorian Guard, he had never recalled himself being so violent and unpredictable. But that was behind him now. He had to focus on finding a new Emperor that could further his and his guardsmen's lives.

"Pulcher! My man!"

Slowly, carefully, Pulcher eased his head to right, hoping to see one of his friends coming towards him. Instead, he saw the dubiously named, Hannibal, carrying Pertinax's head on a pole. Hannibal shared no traits of being associated or divine to be named after such a military hero. He was the opposite.

Pulcher stared at Hannibal, a rush of anger running through his body. In mock exasperation he said, "I love the sight!"

"Yes, I had to get a trophy and proof of the murder!"

"But why?" Pulcher asked dryly.

"I don't know..." he said. He grabbed the head by the cheeks and kissed Pertinax's bloody lips. He pulled back and smiled. "As a souvenir..."

Pulcher winced. He was sickened by Hannibal's grotesque sense of humor or lack of. He shifted his gaze slightly over to the bonfire where a bunch of guards were gathered. He didn't want to be around Hannibal anymore. "I have to go," he said stiffly.

He walked past Hannibal and into the center of the camp where the group of men were standing. He could see that they were all dressed in dark fatigues, perfectly masking their appearance. They would be the ideal group to send in the dark to search for an Emperor in the city.

Pulcher looked behind him and could see Hannibal kissing the dead face of Pertinax again. He stopped in shock. "What the fuck is wrong with him?" he asked himself.

He moved forward in the direction of Hannibal but he felt a hand grip his shoulder before he could take a step forward. He turned to see Arpineius, frowning.

"Leave that sorry fuck to himself," Arpineius said.

Pulcher nodded. He tried to desperately to do as Arpineius wished and found it very hard. "Okay."

Pulcher walked to the group, with Arpineius by his side. He entered the huddle of men, who seemed to share in their disgust. He didn't hear any other name but Hannibal being discussed by the men.

Pulcher stood listening to what the guards were talking about. He shook his head. He was hoping that the men would be discussing ideas for a new Emperor, not a mentally disturbed soldier.

"I can't believe Hannibal... The guy is either trying to be funny or just sick in the head... or maybe even both!" a soldier said.

Considius started laughing. "He probably wanted to kill him so he could rape him!"

Pulcher didn't like the way the night was progressing. He backed away and distanced himself from the group.

Suddenly, the men's laughter stopped. They all stared at Pulcher, squinting to try to avoid viewing what was in the background. "Pulcher?" one of the guards asked, breaking the silence.

Arpineius, urged by nods from the gang, pursued Pulcher and grabbed his shoulder.

"What are you doing, Arpineius?" Pulcher asked.

"I'm sorry if we're acting immature, but we need to have some fun sometime, you know? We can't always be soldiers..." Arpineius trailed off, dragging his friend into the circle.

Pulcher nodded and responded, "I can understand that, Arpineius. But the moment we killed the Emperor, we should not have acted like nothing happened."

Arpineius nodded. He had understood Pulcher for once. What they were doing was wrong. They had just killed an Emperor. They needed to be serious. "Okay, Pulcher." He turned his determined face to the soldiers who were watching Hannibal. "Stop stalling our time discussing this leech in our guard!"

"I need a beer-" a soldier began, then stopped when Pulcher flashed him a look.

Simultaneously, Pulcher and Arpineius entered the center of the circle of men. The sound of their footsteps on the dirt gave the men a sense of turmoil in their personalities.

The men silently watched them. Now it seemed to Pulcher and Arpineius that the men were ready to discuss business.

Clenching his teeth through an aching headache, Pulcher yelled, "What is wrong with you? This is not a time for rejoicing! We don't have an Emperor!"

The men averted their eyes from his shamefully.

Arpineius nodded, standing beside his friend in the circle. "He is right. It is our fault for taking away an Emperor and it is our responsibility now to find one..."

"Yeah, understood. But would you think anyone would want to be Emperor at this time? I mean it's awfully dark," Considius said.

At the mention of the Emperor by Considius, Pulcher saw Arpineius tense up. He appeared to be emotionally shaken by the word 'Emperor.' He wondered if he had been so taken to Pertinax's death just as Cimberius was. He paused, waiting to see if he should confront his friend about it, but a moment later he instead replied to Considius, "I think it is time for us to not give a damn anymore what others think. We don't want our assassination to be in vain, do we?"

Considius nodded, eyeing the other soldiers who were in solemn agreement. "But who should we choose? We never really planned who would be Emperor..."

"It doesn't matter. Someone we can twist and pull." Pulcher replied firmly. "A man that is not too blinded by his arrogance or ambition. Not a Commodus or Pertinax. Not even a Marcus Aurelius. We need a dependent Emperor."

A soldier grinned smugly and replied, "You expect us to find one that matches all those descriptions in one night?"

Pulcher walked in the small space he had in the circle, frantically trying to think of what to do. His feet stopped and he looked at the soldier with distaste. "I expect one of that caliber, yes. If not, we will put one of our own as a choice."

Arpineius frowned, searching Pulcher's face and trying unsuccessfully to see what he was thinking. He knew that Pulcher was dangerously touching the surface towards the possibility of making himself Emperor. For many years, he had envisioned Pulcher being a good Emperor. Just a couple of days ago however, he had gained a notion that it would be a bad idea.

"Then we better find someone," a soldier laughed.

"Oh we better," Considius agreed.

Pulcher ignored the comments and continued, "All right, let's head out of this camp at once and find an Emperor for ourselves."

For a long moment, the men stood still. Pulcher waited, hoping for one of the men to walk out of the circle. "Come on men," he urged, shaking his head. "Don't be like this now. We must find an Emperor." He motioned for Arpineius to follow him. "Let's go Arpineius, these men aren't worth taking along."

Arpineius' eyes looked ahead and he could see a couple of men dressed in togas visible behind the gates. They looked like important people.

"Arpineius, don't disappoint me," Pulcher said.

"We have some visitors," Arpineius said, gesturing to the front gate. "I think we have some potential candidates for Emperor."

Pulcher turned to see the gate. He was shocked to see two distinguished men outside the gates. Titus Flavius Sulpicianus, the father of Pertinax's wife, Flavia, and Marcus Didius Julianus, a popular senator and ex-consul. Both were waiting patiently, staring blankly through the gate.

"Well... I guess we don't have to search," Pulcher managed to say, taken back by their sudden arrival.

Arpineius looked at him curiously. "One of those men should be our Emperor. They both fit your prototype for Emperor pretty well."

Pulcher looked at his friend solemnly, considering whether or not Arpineius was serious that he wanted one of the men to be Emperor. He wished that Arpineius would mention him to Emperor. He figured Arpineius would be insistent towards the idea. Reluctantly, Pulcher began walking towards the gates, followed by the group of interested men.

Distracted by the latest development at the front gate and Hannibal who was now moving closer into his field of vision with Pertinax's head, Pulcher was less than thrilled when he came up to both Sulpicianus and Julianus.

"Pulcher, what a pleasant surprise," Sulpicianus said, recognizing a former protector of his daughter, Flavia.

Pulcher frowned as he opened the gate, handing the keys to one of his men behind him to hang up.

"No, really, Pulcher... I am. You were a loyal bodyguard to my daughter and up until tonight, her husband..."

"Will you be quiet!" Pulcher said, and he grabbed both men with his arms as he dragged them into the camp. "You two came at the right time, I tell you."

"What? What's going on?" Julianus asked.

One of the soldiers lowered his voice and spoke, "We're choosing an Emperor. Isn't that why you are here?"

Julianus frowned. "No! I saw all you men walking back from the palace, I wondered what the hell was going on!" When the soldier wouldn't meet his gaze, he continued impatiently, "Soldier... did you and your men kill Pertinax?"

The soldier nodded. "He is dead."

Julianus' anger surged. His friend was dead. And once again, as the case with Commodus' assassination, it seemed like he was the last to know what was happening to the Emperor. He broke from Pulcher's grasp and then stopped.

"Damn," he muttered. He glared at Sulpicianus. "You knew didn't you? You knew Pertinax was dead and you didn't tell me. Who do you think you are?" He cursed beneath his breath as he thrust his arms in the air, adjusting his toga. "Just let me go, soldiers. If I am to be auctioned as a future Emperor, then I shall have no part of it."

Pulcher strode towards the bonfire without looking back at Julianus. Once in the middle of the bonfire, he called to Arpineius.

"Arpineius, my voice is a little tired today, will you do the oratory?"

"Sorry Pulcher, but I'm not the man for it. I barely can speak to one soldier, what makes me your choice to be orator?"

"Then who shall speak?"

"Pulcher, you're the one who organized the murder of the Emperor... you organize the installation of a new one," Arpineius said and he walked away into the crowd.

Pulcher could hardly control his anger as he stood in front of the two candidates and all of the Praetorian Guards. He was tired of doing so much work and tired of politics. A few moments later, he spotted Cimberius coming out from one of the side buildings, still carrying a disgusted smirk on his face.

Pulcher looked back into the crowd and smiled weakly. It was him and only him who could deliver the speech.

"Oh man," he said to himself. After waiting a couple of seconds, he began speaking. "All of you present here tonight are here to witness our first two candidates for Emperor of Rome! This will not be a secret negotiation or handover; we will make this public knowledge to every soul of the Empire! We want money..." He stared quietly at the faces watching him, noting that the two candidates were zoned into each word he said. "Most of all... respect... We were given none by Pertinax... and we expect a choice made by us- the forgotten group of men," –the crowd laughed. "A group of men who protect the Emperor's life and in the process... The Empire. So if we are not given the respect or money we deserve... we have the power to bring this Empire to the ground, even though that is the last of our wishes! We want to be employed and we want to serve Rome!"

Pulcher's gaze moved from each face from the next, and as he watched them, he saw something he'd never seen before. Complete and undivided attention. That was the difference from before. Every single set of eyes was locked on his.

Then he looked at the two candidates. Whatever anger he heard from Julianus, it had dissolved into an interested, curious look that he shared with Sulpicianus. It seemed to Pulcher that his speech had mentally and physically put the two men in a mode of seeking the crown. He moved a little closer into the crowd, trying to see better looks on their faces.

From across the camp, near the entrance, Cimberius watched Pulcher inspect the candidates with his eyes. The way he was looking into each of the candidates' eyes was disturbing to him and the smile that Pulcher had on his face was even more disturbing. He didn't care anymore about the Praetorian Guard. It didn't matter to him any longer. All he wanted was a respectable job. Gritting his teeth angrily, he turned around and then pushed through the gates, realizing as he did so that it made a loud creaking noise that caused every man to turn to see who was gone. Luckily, he cut the corner before anyone could see.

Pulcher looked up, surprised that someone had left while in the middle of his speech. "Who left! Do you know?"

"I don't know, Pulcher, I was focused on you the whole time," a soldier admitted. The rest of the soldiers added a collective 'yeah.'

Pulcher looked around frantically for suspects. The more he searched, the more certain that he realized Cimberius had left the camp. He remembered angering Cimberius by telling him that the Praetorian Guard wasn't the job for him. If he had caused one of his men to leave by telling the truth, then he had nothing to regret.

"Is there something wrong?" a soldier asked.

"Nothing's wrong," he murmured, and he began focusing on the candidates once again.

With a sigh, he undid his armor, throwing it off him as he moved backward from the soldiers and candidates. He had to feel pretty damn good even with Cimberius' departure. It had been a long, uphill battle from beginning his days as a servant in the Imperial Palace and pampering Commodus and his family. The first few years when he entered the Praetorian Guard, he was often the object of ridicule and dislike from most of the troops. Then, up until four years ago, everything had changed. He was directly responsible for all of the Praetorian Guards, who happened to be at the moment, the most powerful force in Rome.

After the assassination of Pertinax and the entry of the two candidates for Emperor, Pulcher knew that he was in the right position. He felts slightly guilty that he had organized a rebellion and assassination of a beloved Emperor but he knew the restoration of the Empire had to come at a cost.

Just as he was about to continue his speech, Julianus spoke.

"If it is money you seek, I have many sesterces to appease your men."

Pulcher smiled. Julianus had been the first to object to being a candidate for Emperor, and it appeared that he had changed his mind.

"Do you, old Julianus?" Then Pulcher laughed. "You think money is all that we care about? I just told you it is respect I want the most..."

"You will get respect, as well as money," Julianus said.

Pulcher laughed again, realizing that the senior senator was now hungry for power. He knew Julianus' wife Manlia Scantilla would accept her husband's choice without a second thought. Both he recalled, were always seeking higher positions in life.

"Don't you think you are being overly dramatic? I mean I am offering myself to be Emperor. Are you not pleased?" Julianus asked.

Arpineius wasn't laughing. He stared at his friend with bitterness. "This is not meant to be some kind of joke, Pulcher. We are in a time of crisis, and what Julianus offered is exactly what we need."

Sulpicianus frowned. "What's this offer Julianus made? To me, this is something he cannot be owed up to... He is a senator! You want an empire, right? With a senator at the helm, we will be inching ever closer to a republic!"

"Sulpicianus, I understand your concern. But I think Julianus understands that we are a powerful group of men that should not be double-crossed," Arpineius added.

A thousand things began to go through Pulcher's mind, including the feeling that Julianus could be bluffing. Ever since meeting Julianus as a senator, he had noticed his change of stances on different subjects such as the poor and diseased. More often than Julianus, Sulpicianus usually stuck to his convictions, which in turn made Pulcher a little uneasy. He didn't want to have someone as stubborn as Pertinax, but the sudden thought of Julianus' different stances on issues as senator could not be ignored.

"Sulpicianus has a point... Julianus is a senator and the last thing we want is a senator ruling this Empire," Pulcher said.

Julianus exhaled angrily. "Hell, Caesar himself was a senator, as well as Augustus! Both wanted to keep the Empire as well as I do!"

"You are a sack of wine, Julianus. What changed you all of a sudden into wanting to be an Emperor!" Sulpicianus yelled.

Pulcher could sense a growing anger between Julianus and Sulpicianus. "Men, ultimately it doesn't matter who wants to be Emperor more, it is what we want more... An Empire, respect, and money..."

"How much are you looking for?" Sulpicianus asked, then realized that Pulcher didn't know. "Damn it, I will pay more than Julianus... I have all of the Emperor's will!"

"You are the father of Pertinax's wife... I'm sure you are not pleased by Pertinax's death and you may seek revenge on these soldiers," Julianus noted, gazing into Pulcher's intense eyes.

"That is not what I intend," he growled. He looked at Pulcher. "Give me a few hours and I will bring back as much sesterces as I can. I promise you, you will not be disappointed."

"You are a part of Pertinax's blood, Sulpicianus," Pulcher muttered. "That cannot be ignored."

"A part of his wife's," he explained. "She isn't affected by his death, I swear."

"Bullshit," Arpineius said. "I saw her rush to his slain body and weep over him. She is affected, you incompetent liar."

Sulpicianus watched Pulcher read his eyes and expression then look at Julianus, studying him in a more comfortable way compared to him. He hesitated, as if he wanted to say something more to plead his case as Emperor, but shook his head in disappointment, feeling that the soldiers have already been convinced of his intentions.

"Arpineius, post some signs up outside the camp, will you? Write on it that the position of Emperor is temporarily up for sale," Pulcher told his friend.

Arpineius nodded, and left the group.

Pulcher stood for a moment, trying to take everything in. He kept thinking of how Sulpicianus might be influenced by his daughter to strike blows to the officers responsible for the assassination. The ringleaders. Him.

He strode across the dirt, carrying his sword in his hand. "Okay, we're going to have a preliminary vote... Not a real one... All in favor of Julianus raise your hand!"

Pulcher smiled lightly as he took notice of the overwhelming approval of Julianus. He looked at Sulpicianus, taking note of the fact that he was not enjoying any minute of the bidding process.

"And... Sulpicianus!" Pulcher yelled.

Sulpicianus glared at Pulcher, hearing his loud words and not liking how he said his name compared to Julianus. He sensed by Pulcher's tone that he had already made up his mind for which candidate he preferred. He knew it wasn't him.

Pulcher identified only a few hands raised in the air. He reluctantly said, "Okay, well if this was a real vote, Julianus would be our Emperor."

"See, I am qualified for the crown," Julianus said and he pointed at the ensemble of soldiers around him. "That proves I am worthy."

Pulcher eyed the cockiness of Julianus and the grin on his face. The process was going too quick in favor of Julianus. He needed to be positively certain he was making the right choice along with his men.

"You are not worthy until you have shown us your respect, Julianus," Pulcher said. He took a slow breath and continued, "We will choose an Emperor soon, but don't be too confident that when the chickens crow in the morning, the crown will be yours."

Xander and Buffy's story was spreading all throughout the jail. Each guard or inmate was discussing their amazing story. They were supposed to be executed the very day that Pertinax was assassinated. It was too unreal that they had become so lucky.

Xander heard Buffy's name being discussed on his way out of the jail. Unable to believe what was happening, he tried to hear what the men were saying. By the time he had reached a reasonable hearing distance, the men had stopped. The men, who were prison guards, looked at him with pity.

"You're a lucky man," a guard said, his eyes piercing into Xander's like a knife.

Xander nodded. "Yes I am."

The guard frowned, noticing that Xander had interpreted his statement the wrong way. "No, not that you are set free. The woman you have... she is a beautiful young woman."

Xander laughed. Once again a Roman had misconceived the idea that he was simply Buffy's friend. Of course, he did not really act like a friend when he was busy making out with her in the scaffold, but even with that, he was going to believe that he was just her friend.

A guard undid the chains of Xander's hands as he exited the jail, then with his hands free, Xander extended his arms out wide, taking in the cool, night air.

Being in the jail had been hell, and it had taken every ounce of his energy to withstand it. He figured the aching inside his head was caused by his hunger. He'd have been given bread earlier in the day and some water later in the afternoon, but nothing else after that. Now that he was free, the first thing on his mind was to buy some food at the market. But by the time he would reach the market, he wouldn't know if he would pass out from starvation.

There was another thing on his mind. He didn't see Buffy anywhere. In the jail, the guard told him that she was being set free as well. "Did she leave already or is she still in the jail?" he thought. Before Xander could answer his own question, a girl appeared through the door. His eyes turned toward her, a feeling of fear and excitement racing in him. His gaze settled on Buffy.

"Buffy, my god. It's nice to see you again."

Buffy looked at Xander and then down to the ground, her face evidently showing signs of heartbreak and sadness.

"I don't believe it," she said. She opened her arms. "I don't know about you Xand, but I could use a hug."

"Of course," he said, and he went into her outstretched arms. "Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what, Xand?"

"For just being here with me, Buffy. I wouldn't be able to survive here, without you."

"I feel the same, Xander," she said, resting her chin on his shoulders. She gently moved her lips to his ear and nibbled on it affectionately. "We were supposed to die today."

Xander smiled. He could feel the warm sensation her lips were bringing to his ears and at the same time, understand the irony of what she had said. "Yeah, I know. I cannot believe that the assassins chose today of all days to kill the Emperor."

"I remember meeting him. I do not remember what he looked like, aside from his beard. Did you meet him?"

"Yes, I did. He wanted to spare me and execute you. He actually told me that I could leave right there on the spot."

There was a moment of silence, and then Buffy pulled back, looking into his eyes. A sense of them being in the funeral home many years ago flashed through her mind. She gazed into his eyes.

"You, you denied leaving? You did?"

"Yes, I did." He cupped her face in his hands. "I would die for you, Buffy. You know that..."

A rush of tears came into her eyes, and she tried blinking them back but couldn't.

Xander smiled sadly while watching tears flow down her cheeks. So taken by her crying, he hugged her again, letting her sob into his shoulders.

"I was so scared... of you, Xander, and myself. I didn't want you and I to die like that."

Xander nodded and rubbed his hands gently across her back.

She sniffed in her agitated nose. "Thank you, Xander for risking your life for me. But, you're too good of a guy to waste your life for a girl like me..."

His eyes widened. It was the first time that Buffy had hinted that she held enormous respect for who he was. A slow smile began to spread across his face as she smothered her tears in his shoulders.

"No," he whispered into her ear. "I'm lacking being a man to not waste my life for a girl like you."

Buffy pulled her face off of his shoulder. "You're so sweet."

The joy in his heart was perfect as she faced him. Although this wasn't the first time he had shared an intimate moment with Buffy, it sure felt like it was. It smelled like it was. His heart was beating the fastest it had ever been. It was amazing. Only now did he feel like he had to kiss Buffy again.

Just as he was about to kiss Buffy, a guard came out of the lighted exit. Confident that the man would not be rude and interrupt them, Xander ignored the man and continued going after kissing Buffy.

She stepped closer to him, putting her arms around his neck, anticipating the kiss as anxiously as Xander was.

Once Xander's lips brushed hers, they heard a man grumble and they separated, both of them groaning from being broken a part from what would have been an exotic feeling.

"Do you people want to go back in jail?" the guard asked.

The tone of his voice made Xander's hair crawl on the back of his neck. But he maintained his composure.

"Why?" he asked.

"Do you think we can let you out of the jail and allow you to be kissing right outside of it? Are you trying to degrade the manner in which we have politely set you free by showing us this?" the guard asked, completely ignoring the fact that Buffy was flashing him an angry, pissed off look.

"Um...I, ah," Xander began.

"Go back into the jail. We're free," Buffy said sternly.

The guard frowned. "I want you to get away from this jail. Both of you, or I-" the guard said and, the moment he said it, he felt a bulk of feet crash into his face. He fell to the ground.

Xander stared at Buffy in shock. "Whoa, Buffy."

The guard stiffened, then turned to Buffy, who had kicked him in the face. He looked at her, still in disbelief of what had happened. His face was red with embarrassment and anger.

"Guards!" he called.

To Buffy and Xander's dismay, they saw two guards come out through the door carrying swords, scrambling to reach for their fallen comrade.

Buffy looked at Xander, her face still streaked with tears. "I'm sorry, Xander."

"What are you sorry about? We can take these guys," he said.

The two guards glared at Buffy and Xander, while holding onto the shaken soldier. "Don't push your luck, lovers..." one of the guards said.

"Your guy is not as tough as he talks," Buffy said.

Xander glanced behind him, making sure there was not anyone surrounding them. He lowered his voice to Buffy. "Well, Buffy, I don't think edging them on will help us much."

Anxious now to discipline the released prisoners, the two soldiers lifted their friend to their feet and quickly ran towards Buffy and Xander. The soldier in front let out a deafening war cry and charged directly at Buffy, his brazen yellow hair blowing back through the wind.

For a second, Buffy seemed caught off guard by the man's determination but quickly regained her focus and grabbed the middle of his sword with her palm and maneuvered it into the charging man's stomach. She jammed it hard into his chest. The man let out a small gasp and collapsed to the ground.

Xander watched the second man coming in after Buffy, holding his sword high in the air. Buffy was not watching his approach.

"Buffy!" he yelled.

The man was about to stab Buffy with his sword, but Xander pulled Buffy inward, just in time before the sword could have made contact with her flesh.

The other guard, who was previously kicked by Buffy, rushed into the jail.

"You lucky swine," the guard said. He let out a hoarse cough. "You both will pay for assaulting one of our guards."

"He asked for it," Xander said, holding onto Buffy's small frame.

"Then you asked for this," the guard sneered, thrusting his sword at Xander. Xander ducked and rolled across the ground until he was behind the prison guard. The guard whipped his head around in shock. "Wow, you're a clever fellow, aren't ya?"

Xander motioned at Buffy, who was directly behind the guard as he stared, grinning sheepishly at the guard.

"Better than a dead fellow," Xander said.

The guard frowned and within a second, his neck had been broken, spun in one motion by Buffy from behind. The guard slumped onto the ground.

"Now that was cutting it too close," Buffy said, staring down at the dead body.

Xander looked at the slain body with a sword sticking out from his chest. "I agree completely."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks Xander, for saving my life."

Xander moved over to Buffy and touched her shoulder. "Don't thank me anymore, Buffy. It's second nature now, for me. You shouldn't think of it as something heroic anymore," he laughed.

Suddenly the guard who Buffy had kicked in the face, bolted out the door. He carried a shield and a spear. Xander's gaze caught him quickly and he pushed Buffy from out of striking distance. Without hesitation, the guard cocked the spear back and threw it at Xander.

Xander dodged it just barely as the spear connected with the hard ground. Xander jerked back at the guard in shock, staring in disbelief as the guard stood breathing heavily.

"Whoa! Calm down there!" Xander cried, pointing at the guard standing at the doorway. "I don't want to fight."

Xander spun away, trying to get Buffy, who was startled on the ground. Before he could get her, he saw in the corner of his eye, the guard running after him with his shield. "Not again," he thought.

Xander closed his eyes and dived to his right, hitting the ground forcefully. It didn't make any sense. He was dodging everything.

Xander's heartbeat accelerated. He started to panic as the guard stood over Buffy, but the guard instead chose to go after him. Instantly, Xander knew he had to kill the man. He thought of ways to find out how to kill him but found it too hard to consider.

The guard grinned and slammed the shield into Xander's face, causing Xander to fly further across the ground.

Xander lay on the ground, bleeding from the nose. He wasn't going to let this happen. He had to live. If he died, there would be no more kisses from Buffy that was for sure.

Xander looked startled, then frowned as he moved to get out of the man's way, unaware that the man had swung his shield in that direction. The shield struck him senseless, knocking him onto the ground. He laid on the muddy ground, writhing in pain.

"You were supposed to die today and I will make sure that it happens," the guard said.

"Have some mercy," Xander murmured through aching pain. The combination of his headache and the heavy shield going into his brain had made him miserable. "Buffy!" he tried to call out.

The guard turned around and saw Buffy getting to her feet. She was too far away to help Xander.

The guard laughed. "I hope you believe in Jupiter, because you are going to be judged by him, right now!"

"I don't," Xander said, and as the shield came down to crush him, he pulled himself off the ground and dodged it. The shield smashed into the ground.

"Ah!" the guard yelled.

Xander grabbed the shield from the guard's hands, leaving him standing in stunned silence. He eyed the guard curiously. "Somehow I figured I'd be in this position."

The guard looked at Xander in dismay. "Why don't you die like that mother and daughter of yours?"

Xander kicked the guard in the mouth, making him hit the ground with a thud. He took his shield and was ready to pound it into his skull.

"Xander!" a voice called out from behind.

His heart wanted so viciously to end the life of the guard that Xander could not loosen the grip on the shield. He looked down pityingly at the guard. "Look at you, you scum. Your job here is to hold criminals captive and end their lives. What about the criminals who you pay homage to? The Emperor? His bodyguard?"

"Xander! It's Buffy! Stop it! Let him go!" Her feminine voice shouted at full volume, startling Xander out of his hatred.  
Turning towards Buffy, Xander recognized Buffy's compassionate face and he dropped the shield.

Her eyes narrowed at him as she noticed his predatory gaze.

"Xander, you could have died trying to protect me," she said. "I don't want that."

Xander leaned forward, flashing the slayer a heart-stopping smile. "What do you want, then? To die?"

"I want you..." she said softly. "I want you to be with me, right now. Let's leave."

Xander resisted the urge to kiss her. "Yeah, but..." He stared down at the guard, lying on the ground. He wiped off some of the blood from his nose. "What about him?"

"Jesus Christ," Buffy said, looking at the fallen soldier. "What'd you do Xander?"

Sweat oozed and ran down Xander's face. "I think the question is, what did he do?"

Buffy took note of the way Xander answered and gazed at his face. She saw that his nose was bleeding furiously. Buffy's lips thinned in concern, and extended her hand to try to cover his nose. Xander angrily shook off his friend's hand.

"I'm okay, Buffy," Xander urged.

"Let me stop the bleeding, Xander," Buffy said, and she pulled him closer to her, where she could adjust her hands to clean his nose.

"Thank you," Xander said, letting out a sigh.

"You're welcome," she answered. She pressed her fingers together and tightened them underneath his nose, making sure no more blood would come pouring through.

"I'm sorry Buffy for being so stubborn..."

The kindness was unexpected, especially at this moment. And because it was so unexpected, Buffy found herself unable to say anything to Xander.

"I forgive you Xander..." she said, then took her bloody hand and wiped it off with her shirt, listening to the grunts by the fallen guard on the ground as she did.

Despite the violence that had just occurred, Xander was about to cry.

Buffy looked stunned. "Xander, is it hurting? The nose?"

Xander seemed reluctant to admit what was bothering him. He shook his head.

"Then what is it?" Buffy's eyes were blinking rapidly now, growing more concerned. Buffy knew that if she wanted to get an answer she had to do it softly. "Xander... what's bothering you?"

"Buffy," Xander said in a quivering voice. Unable to meet her piercing eyes, he stared down at the guard on the ground. "I miss them, Buffy... Illeana and Acacia. They didn't deserve to die..."

"Xander, we're alive..."

"So, what? They're not." He angled his head to the left, avoiding Buffy's gaze. "We caused their deaths. If I could have brought you somewhere else..."

Her hand curved around his throat, stroking it with her thumb. "Then they would've had died as well. Don't dwell on it Xander... it's over."

"I considered Illeana like a daughter..." Xander said, tears forming around his eyes. "Those bastards raped, tortured, and killed her."

"Xander..."

"They killed her!" Xander yelled, kicking the fallen guard in the face.

"Xander, please!"

Buffy grabbed his cheeks and drew his head down to hers. They kissed long and passionately. Xander's hands found their way down to her buttocks: his favorite spot. Pushing her back after a lengthy kiss, Xander looked at her.

"Buffy..."

"Xander..." Buffy gasped. "Please, let's leave this jail, before more men come."

He planted a kiss squarely on her mouth. "Okay," he said.


	9. Filling the Void

Late in the evening, Brittany had knocked on Willow Rosenberg's door carrying in her hand a pair of library books she had bought earlier in the day, one huge, and the other very small.

"Come on Willow," Brittany said, standing outside the front door. "Answer the door."

The door opened on cue and Willow peered outside the door. She ignored Brittany, looking in a different direction and soon departed back into the house without letting Brittany say anything.

"Willow!" Brittany said. "Please, I'm sorry about hitting you!"

The door closed with a thud.

"Willow, please. I have some information about Buffy and Xander and where they can be..." Brittany rang the doorbell. She waited anxiously for Willow to come out. "Please, Willow, open the door."

The door opened before her, and Willow, dressed in her pajamas, came out into the light.

"So you have information, huh?" Willow inquired.

"Look Willow, I know you had nothing to do with it. I'm so sorry for being mean to you... I deeply regret doing that..." she said sharply.

"I can understand, Brittany," Willow continued, "but why would you take your frustration out on me? I've known Xander longer than anybody. I care about him, probably more than you do-" Brittany frowned. She took a deep breath. "So what did you find?"

"First of all, if you cared about him more than I do, you would have been searching as hard as I have for some answers," Brittany said angrily.

Willow listened intently, but there was no sign of approval by the way she looked. "I was freaked out. I needed some time," Willow explained. "It's not everyday your best friends disappear without a trace."

"Well if you disappeared, would you want your friends crying about it or trying to find a way to solve the problem!" Brittany cried. "This is no time for being freaked out. They can be dead for all we know and the longer we wait, the more chance they can be dead."

"Look, Brittany! There are thousands of ways to kill people and having people disappear is not one of them!" Willow objected, pointing her finger at Brittany. She turned towards the right, trying to collect her thoughts. She glanced back at Brittany. "I know they're alive, Brittany. And I know we can find them..."

Immediately, at the pace of unexpected quickness, Brittany handed over the two books in her hands into Willow's. It struck Willow that Brittany was now suddenly putting all of the responsibility in her arms. It occurred to her that Brittany needed her help desperately.

"There's the books," Brittany said, shivering slightly.

"Did you read them?" Willow asked.

The words froze Brittany for a second, but she regained her senses. "Yes. But..."

"But, what?"

"Most of it sounded like complete crap," Brittany said, lowering her voice, "and believe me, it is. I had to skip hundreds of pages because it delved into Einstein and Newton, and all these theories. I just wanted to find a way to go back in time, not a history lesson."

A tall, redheaded woman, walking slowly, came up from behind Willow.

"Willow, is everything alright?" the woman asked softly.

"Yes, mother," Willow said.

Willow's mother gazed at Brittany, who was shivering from the cold. She glared at her daughter in shock. "Why are you letting this young girl freeze outside? Let her in..."

The next moment, Willow stepped aside and Brittany crossed into the foyer. There was an eerie silence as Brittany entered the house. Before Willow's mother could greet Brittany, Willow held her mom by the shoulders, tugging her to the left.

"Mom, give us some privacy please," Willow urged.

"How come? Girl talk or something?" she questioned.

"Yeah, something like that," Willow replied.

Her mother made no answer by word or gesture and turned around, walking away from the foyer in a quiet, solemn regard.

"So..." Willow said, trying to continue their conversation from before. "Most of it is crap, huh?"

"Yes, it is," Brittany answered.

"Then how do I know what isn't?"

"I highlighted with a yellow marker of mine the things that I thought were important... you might not feel the same, but if you can find anything, that'd be nice..." she returned softly.

"Okay, I appreciate your dedication, Brittany," she said. "Come upstairs in my room so we can study this."

Brittany flushed red, surprised that Willow would be so gracious after what had happened with them in the past. "Well... are you sure? I mean... it might be too late in the night..."

Willow smiled with one of her traditional goofy ones and signified her forgiveness with a twinkle of her eyes. The kindness of her smile, her body posture, and the sense of happiness, let out an easing sigh from Brittany.

"You were right. I should've been searching like you said, Brittany. I want to make up for it now," she said.

After she had spoke, she led Brittany out of the foyer and upstairs into her room.

The two girls who were before on the border of killing each other were now walking peacefully and gracefully up the stairs, as if nothing had ever happened. The pain in both of them had now seeped away, driven away by a common resolve to find what happened to Buffy and Xander.

Xander strolled through the deserted streets of Rome, stopping periodically to look behind him at Buffy to make sure she was close to him before going any farther. He hated being outside at night. It reminded him of his days helping Buffy patrol against vampires and watching her slay them all while he sat defenseless, beside a tombstone. Being with someone made the experience much better, but Xander still had a gut feeling that vampires were on the prowl.

He thought of the reassurance that the slayer was with him and took a deep, peaceful breath. There were no vampires. There might be some lurking around but he was confident that he and Buffy would not come into contact with them. He was more worried about the Praetorian Guard than anything else. Vampires didn't deserve the label as the most intimidating forces in the night anymore. That belonged to the Praetorian Guard.

Satisfied with the amount of distance they had walked away from the jail, he glanced at Buffy. It was presumably almost before sunrise. Except for the whistling of the wind breezing against his cheeks, the city was dead silent.

He ran his trembling fingers across his hair and then placed them into his pockets of the jeans he wore the first day he was transported into Rome. He smiled. As long as he still had his jeans, he felt comfortable wherever he was. His focus shifted on Buffy as he stared into her bloodshot eyes. Her eyes clearly showed weariness and fatigue.

Buffy looked around the city and the emptiness of it in disbelief. She was surprised, even though it was early in the morning, that there was not a soul present. She looked back at Xander, her gaze fearful and ungraceful.

"This is scary, Xander." She reached inside her jeans, hoping to find something of use. She half-expected a large flashlight to come out of it. "Damn. I wish I had something to help us out."

Xander pointed at the moon shining down on them. "If you're thinking flashlight, that is all we got."

Buffy gave him an odd look; surprised that he had read her thoughts. "Where should we go?" she whispered.

Xander shrugged. "Shelter is not my main concern right now."

"Then what is?"

"Call me weak, but I need some food... big time."

Buffy nodded, then covered Xander's hands with her own. "I am too. But I doubt they have twenty-four hour stores here."

Xander frowned. "It feels like Sunnydale, doesn't it?"

"It's not so bad here."

Xander rolled his eyes. "Well, there isn't any 24 hour deli's around here also like Sunnydale, but they still don't have any vampires, here, so that's a plus. Other than that, there is nothing great about this city..." Xander immediately turned to the Coliseum, which cowered over the city. The surrounding circular arches were still visible, but it seemed that the night had showered everything else with darkness. "Aside from the buildings."

"Admit it," Buffy groaned. "You like being here."

"With you, yes. Without you, no."

Her green eyes sparkled with enthusiasm at his kind words. "That's hardly as flattering as you think Xander. You have to do better than that if you want to sleep with me."

Studying her, he absently scratched his head. "What did Angel do that I didn't?"

Buffy folded her arms. "For starters, he didn't deny wanting to have sex... like you did."

"Oh, please." He dropped her hand from his. "I was hurt. You know that."

"Angel was hurt too," Buffy reminded him, "though I guess he was a vampire and was impervious to pain."

"Can we stop talking about Angel please?"

Buffy grunted. "You brought him up first."

"I'm sorry, I should've never even brought him into this," Xander said with a trace of regret. "Maybe I should wonder to myself how Spike got you to bed... I mean Angel was at least a nice guy... He wouldn't rape you even if he was evil."

Buffy was amused, not offended. "That was a long time ago, Xander. I didn't know you liked to live in the past."

"You don't know me too well, then, young lady," Xander said. "Of course, if I have to go back to Angel to know about your love life, I guess I don't know too much about yourself either."

Buffy rolled her eyes, embarrassed by his blunt truthfulness. "We've been friends for a while, Xander. I'm surprised we don't know each other as much."

"She finally admits it," Xander thought. He seemed momentarily frozen by what she had said and the importance of saying it. He had always wanted to know more about Buffy, but he never knew if she felt the same about him in order for him to pursue it.

"I mean, that can also be something that is good about being here. We can spend some quality time getting to know each other better," Buffy added.

"Buffy, this is not a vacation." He took a moment to study her. "We're spending infinite time together..." Xander couldn't help but smile. He knew that he could not keep a straight face while lying to Buffy that spending unlimited time with her would be difficult. "I... uh... never mind."

"No vacation, huh?" Buffy asked. Her face lit up and her straight, thin lips curved into a radiant smile. She reached up to stroke his cheek. Her hand, Xander noted, was pale and rigid and for a second, thought about if her touch would be more troublesome than pleasuring. Xander felt her hand on his skin. It was warm now, but just an hour ago at the jail, he remembered it being cold. Her slim hands felt spongy and smooth. Xander briefly closed his eyes to relish in her touch. An image of her face, in sunlight and her long, blonde hair shimmering down her skin was what he saw through his eyelids. Xander didn't make the image of her go away, as he often did before, because of him having a girlfriend. His fantasy was appropriate now and necessary for the moment.

Through squinted eyes, Xander could see Buffy blinking with surprise at his enjoyment of her touch. A couple seconds later, he could feel his hair being tangled around with her fingers. "This is too good to be true," he thought.

He didn't realize that he had moaned loudly and had caused Buffy to pull her hand back from his face. Still, having his eyes closed and unaware that Buffy's hand was removed from his skin, he shivered like her touch was paralyzing him still.

"Xander," Buffy said.

"Yeah?" Xander opened his eyes and swung his head in Buffy's direction. He was shocked to see Buffy standing a few feet in front of him, gazing at him. He knew that moment that he had nothing to be embarrassed about. Buffy aroused him. "If she was displeased, then that would be her problem," he thought.

Buffy continued to stare at Xander for several seconds before saying, "I think you consider this more than a vacation, Xand."

"Yeah, I think you're right," he said, smiling.

His confession, spoken so truthfully, shocked Buffy. "Well..."

Xander decided to apologize to Buffy before she would say anything else. It was something that crossed his mind as a necessity because he did not know if she still carried extra emotional baggage from that incident at Cato's.

"I'm sorry, Buffy."

Everything inside Buffy went still. She worked hard at keeping her expression normal. "About what?"

He looked up at the sky smiling, remembering Acacia and their first kiss. His smile faded when his eyes came back to Buffy. "I should have never made a move on Acacia. It was the wrong thing to do. I had a girlfriend and you know, it was wrong."

Discomforted by his unexpected statement, she said, "Xander, it's not that. I mean... I was jealous that you did that, but it's just that you didn't tell me... that's all."

Xander appeared extremely upset. "We both made mistakes, right? Do you remember not telling us that Angel was back after you 'killed' him or your relationship with Spike?"

"Yeah, I do." Buffy glanced down at the street corner, then at Xander. "But that is me, Xander. I had problems, I'll be the first to tell you that. I just expected different of you... especially since you opened your heart to me in the scaffold."

Xander drew a deep breath. "If it happened too quickly, I'm sorry."

Buffy fell back a step, sucking in her breath. "It didn't Xander, that's the thing." She composed herself. "It felt long overdue, but still right. I just wasn't expecting you, after all the hours of us... smooching... that you had done it to someone else before."

"Look, I didn't know if you were alive, Buffy, okay?" he stated, pointing a finger at her heart. "If I did, I would have not even bothered. It's not like I thought to myself... 'Buffy won't like this,' it was more on the realm of... 'Damn I'm going to die soon, why wait'?"

Buffy averted her head so he wouldn't see her tears. She then covered her eyes with her hands. "I understand, Xander. I'm sorry for treating you like that."

Xander pulled her hands away from her face and looked at her with sincere brown eyes. "It's okay, Buffy. Nobody's perfect. And if I were you, I doubt I wouldn't have handled the situation the same way..."

Buffy's teary eyes went round and she spoke softly, "I'm just sick of having my heart broken... you know? It seemed like you two were in love or something and I just flipped out."

"I cared about her and her daughter. She told me the day we first kissed..." Xander paused, and then continued, "-the day we only kissed, that her husband abused her every other day. She also showed me the scars."

"So you knew before that Cato abused his wife?" Buffy asked. She was shocked by what she was hearing.

He nodded bitterly. "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm not sure why I didn't." Xander stared off into space.

Frowning, Buffy said, "Look, it's in the past and I'm willing to just look ahead of it, but I am surprised that you didn't tell me anything... It was almost like you were hiding it."

Xander glanced past her, hoping to find a market still open in the morning. He looked at Buffy. "I didn't think Cato was like that. I spent a whole day with him and he didn't seem like the wife abuser Acacia was talking about... That's why I felt it was necessary not to tell you."

She reached up to touch his face again and reassure him that she still loved him, then she shyly dropped her hand. "Let's just find a place to sleep."

"There's a store," Xander said, spotting a market in the corner of the street. It was hidden in the shadows. He lightly pulled Buffy in the direction of the market. "Come on Buffy, we have to buy some food."

"Xander, calm down. Don't make me run or I'll hurt you. I'm still feeling the effects from being hanged," she warned, but Xander didn't follow her advice. By the time they had reached the end of the street near the market, Buffy had turned purple, and was slouching on her knees, trying to get some air.

As she breathed heavily, she looked at Xander who continued at the marketplace without her. She smiled to herself about Xander's hungry appetite for food, which, of course, was understandable. She felt hungry just as much as he was, but her weakness in her body had not gained her enough motivation to feed herself. The thought of not eating bugged her, but she did what her body wanted, and at the moment, she was not starving.

Willow's room felt different at night. With the soft lighting in her room, it helped the orange wallpaper shine brightly alongside the dark which it would not have been during the day. Willow had turned on the lamp and was crouched at the side of her bed, skimming through pages of the library books.

Willow did most of the studying. She had little regard for anything around her. Brittany enjoyed watching her studying skills. When Brittany slid another book beside her, Willow would smile at her enthusiastically. Brittany recognized that expression and was positive that Willow's enthusiasm would bring positive results.

Willow's eyes darkened when something in the book caught her eye.

"What is it, Will?"

Willow chuckled, shaking her head. "Nothing."

Brittany reached for the book and took hold of it. Once in her hands, she stared at the page Willow had looked at. She read from a caption underneath a big illustration, "The main power source believed to be involved with time travel is the black hole which generates vast energy."

"Brittany, I can't believe people get paid to write this."

Brittany looked toward Willow. "Yeah, I know."

Willow set the book to the side and took the other book, the much larger one, into her hands. "I can make enough energy to send us to a different reality if I wanted to. Why need the black hole?"

"Can you really?" Brittany asked, stressing each word.

"Yes," Willow said. "I almost destroyed the world. Ask Xander..." She paused for a second, remembering Xander was not around anymore. "Well ask Dawn... who's in college right now..."

"I believe you. But can you really send us to a different reality?"

Willow smiled. "Are you kidding? I was born for the job."

Brittany was still staring at Willow with such admiration, so overwhelmingly captivated by Willow's words. She couldn't break her stare until Willow found something else in the bigger book.

"I can't stand this paradox crap. It's everywhere in these books." Willow scratched her back. "It's insane."

Brittany shot her a look. "Paradox?"

Willow laughed nervously. "Don't make me explain it, Brittany."

"Come on, just in its simplest terms," Brittany persisted, tapping Willow on the shoulder playfully.

Willow wasn't ready to discuss the paradox of time travel. She took Brittany's hand and squeezed gently. "It's too late in the night."

"We have all evening," Brittany groaned. She jerked her hand free. "Come on... I know a paradox is when something occurs that shouldn't occur- like fire melting ice or something. Is that what you mean?"

"No, not at all." Propping her feet on the floor and stacking her hands behind her head, she added, "It's far more complicated than that."

Brittany scanned the page Willow read quickly and handed it back to her. "I still don't know. Come on, Willow."

"Alright." Willow leaned forward to put her face close to hers. "A paradox in time travel by theory is like if you killed your mother in time travel, then you in effect would never exist. But if you never time traveled in the first place, then it would all be fine. You get it?"

Brittany pulled on her earlobe as she pondered the idea of a paradox. "So what if Xander was transported-"

"And Buffy..." Willow noted.

"Yeah... Buffy- was transported like in the 1950s and they killed ancestors of certain people living today. Would their offspring not exist?"

Willow shook her head. "The past is totally defined, Brittany. I'm a believer in that. That is why I laugh when I see this paradox stuff in the book. It's almost like it was influenced by the 'Back to the Future' films."

Brittany gazed at Willow puzzlingly. "So if you time travel in the past..."

"How do you know they went in the past in the first place, Brittany?" Willow asked sharply. "They could've have been sent in the future or maybe to a different realm. Nothing is certain."

"For sake of argument... if they were sent to the past and did kill people there, then they had to erase the generations of the people they killed, right?"

Willow rubbed her cold arms, trying to stay warm. The heater in her room was on, but it was not working lately, especially at the moment. Her room had become a damp and chilly place to be in. For the time being, she decided to brave out the cold and talk with Brittany.

Willow nodded, and in her similar calm voice she responded, "It would make sense to believe that, yes."

"That's weird." Brittany tilted her head, as though examining Willow's attempts to stay warm. She had to kick herself many times before finally speaking up, "Willow, you need a jacket or something?"

Willow pondered the inquiry by Brittany for a moment. "Yeah... I'm freezing. I don't think it's too important though."

Brittany sauntered over to the chair beside her computer where she had laid her coat on. She could feel Willow's eyes gazing at her.

"Thanks."

Brittany chose to ignore Willow's kind apology and when she went back to sit beside her, she hoped she could ignore the blushing on her face. She focused her attention on Willow and gave her the coat.

Willow wrapped it over her shoulders and smiled. "I didn't know you were so kind."

Brittany assumed an innocent look. "It's the least I can do."

Willow lowered her eyes to the pages of the open book and stared at it for a long time before crossing her legs. "The sad thing is... we have nothing to go on. If we could find out who did it then it would be nice."

"That's easy," Brittany said bluntly. Willow flashed her a look. "We don't have many suspects. It was you, Faith, and Giles."

"So?"

Brittany's patience for Willow was wearing thin. She was sick of Willow's stalling. "Tell me what happened that night..."

Willow could see the annoyance in her lavender eyes. She withdrew her hands from the pages of the book and folded her arms. "You still think it was me?"

Wetting her lips, Brittany replied, "No. I just want to know how everybody acted."

"Do you just want their reactions or what?" Willow questioned.

Brittany smiled weakly. "Yes, but I want you to tell me the whole story. It's important you discuss what happened... maybe by what you tell me, I can figure out who caused this."

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you ask Giles?"

"I already did," Brittany said. "His story consisted of about two minutes."

"Oh."

"So, enlighten me, Willow. Please."

"Okay." Willow's heart began to beat rapidly. "Just remember, whatever I say don't hold anything incriminating against me, because I am innocent."

Brittany nodded.

Willow began to recall the events that occurred that one night at Buffy's house.

There was nothing to do, once Buffy's house was clean and the night was almost over, but wait for Buffy to come downstairs. Willow got out some of the photos Buffy kept in the living room of the high school years she spent with her and Xander. She looked at them extensively.

In one of the pictures, Buffy, Xander, and Willow posed in front of the high school. It was amazing how much they had changed since then. At the time the photo was taken, Buffy was in and out of a relationship with Angel, Xander was making out with Cordelia in a broom closet, and Willow was by herself, thinking about Xander. She missed those days.

She put the photo back on the shelf with a small sigh. Those photos were very important things, even if they were taken many years before. Perhaps it would be useful as a reminder to her kids showing that the best thing to have is a friend.

Willow looked up and saw Xander give her a questioning smile. He probably heard her sigh.

"What's wrong, Will?" he asked.

She took a few moments to sort through her emotions. "I was just looking at this photo of you, Buffy, and I. It was pretty neat."

He didn't speak, but his expression was still a questioning one.

"We're more than friends, kind of family."

"You think I don't know that, Willow?" He sat beside her on the couch. He leaned next to her and played with her hair. "Why don't you ever leave Buffy out whenever you discuss our friendship?"

Willow studied him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we never talk about 'our' friendship... just me and you. It always consists of you, Buffy, and I," he said, after a few moments. "Nothing against Buffy but when Buffy and I talk about our friendship, its strictly us, not including you. You know what I mean?"

"I guess," she replied. She shifted comfortably in the couch. She gazed into his eyes. "So... what do you want to talk about with our friendship?"

Her question filled Xander with some contemplation. He frowned. "I think we should talk about the lack of our friendship. I mean... we used to have such a strong relationship in high school."

"Pretty much, yes."

Xander raised his eyebrow. "So what happened? I'd like to know..."

"You're blaming me?" she asked, very carefully. "I think it is both our faults."

He nodded. "I agree. But-"

"Anya," Willow interrupted. "You devoted all your time to that girl, while I shared most of my time with Tara and Kennedy. That could be an explanation."

"In short, we moved on with our lives," he said, with some relief. "But, I think we moved on too much."

Brittany sighed. "All right, Willow. Please, enough with the details of you and Xander's conversation. Do you think I care about your friendship?"

Willow suppressed a frown and gave Brittany a stern look. "This is all that I remember since it's the freshest in my mind. This was right before we left."

"Okay," Brittany said gently. "Continue."

Willow realized she was sitting too close to Xander and she separated a little to provide some breathing room. She glanced at him, hoping to see more than what Xander cared to reveal.

"We should do something tonight, Willow," he said quietly.

"I'd like that," she answered. She could feel Xander's gaze move down over her jeans to her shirt, then to her face. "What about Brittany?"

Within seconds, Giles and Faith were coming into the living room, with Faith carrying some beer bottles. They were giggling hysterically.

Both of them wandered in the living room, probably attracted by Willow and Xander's familiar voices. Faith glanced at Xander, then, at Willow.

Faith shook her head. "Willow, he has a girlfriend."

Willow looked up at her, bewildered. She didn't know if it was the drunk or sober Faith talking. Either way she did not like how Faith was approaching the situation.

"Don't worry about it, Faith," Giles said, moving over to the couch where Xander was sitting.

Xander and Faith exchanged looks.

"What?" Xander asked her.

Faith, dressed athletically and playing with her long, dark hair raised an eyebrow. "You know better than to talk to Willow like that. How can you cheat on Brittany like that!"

Xander and Willow stared at each other as though they knew what they were thinking. "Faith is definitely drunk," Willow thought.

Xander leaned forward slightly in his chair, but didn't speak. Then, after a brief moment, he said, "Where's Buffy?"

Faith cocked her thumb towards the stairs. "Still upstairs, getting dressed. Why, you want to go get your game on her, too?"

Giles let out a deep breath. He looked at Xander, who was smirking, on the edge of getting furious. "Xander, she wasn't like this in the kitchen. I think she is just putting on a show, don't worry about it," Giles said quietly.

"I'm not," Xander whispered.

"Xander, let's find a different room to talk," Willow said, with quiet concern. "Faith is just being a nuisance."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "So Faith was drunk?"

Willow nodded. "Yes."

Brittany expelled a sharp, amused breath. "Wow. Giles didn't tell me anything about that. I would think that would have been important information."

"She should have never been considered a suspect," she told her. "She's not smart enough to even have friends in connection with the people who had the bag. You know that saying... 'You are what your friends are'?"

"Yeah," Brittany said, knowing that she didn't want to prolong Willow's story any longer. "Okay, what happens next?"

Willow laid a finger to her lips. "I think Buffy comes in..."

Buffy returned from upstairs, wearing her blue tank top and pajamas. Giles, Xander, and Willow watched her with ease as they sat on the couch. Faith drank down a swig of an opened beer bottle before turning to see Buffy.

"What took you so long?" Faith asked, her voice very husky.

Buffy's tone was calm, quiet, motherly. It was as soothing as a mother would be to a child. In this case, Faith was the child. "How much did you drink so far?"

There was an awkward silence, and when Faith turned her head towards the couch, she saw that Giles, Xander, and Willow were watching her. She set the beer bottles down on a table next to her gently. "Only a few."

Buffy stood there, staring at Faith. She was shocked to see that Faith had appeared to be drinking as much as she had.

"Movie, anybody?" Xander asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, a movie!" Willow cried, becoming uncontrollably excited.

"I'm sorry, but I think we should call it a night, guys," Buffy said.

Xander and Willow looked at her as if she'd just told them that she was leaving for a year to a foreign country. It was shocking.

"It's not what I want, but Faith is obviously drunk..." Buffy confessed, looking at Faith stagger to the couch. She glanced at the Watcher. "Giles, take her home."

"Okay," Giles said. "I'll try."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks."

"Just don't rape her. I know it might be tempting," Xander commented.

"Xander!" Buffy and Willow crowed.

Xander met and held both of their gazes. "Hey, I'm joking."

Faith shook her head as she got up from the couch. "He's a poop head," she said, with a burp. "Xander is a poop head, he needs to be put in the toilet."

"Can Giles take her home... like now?" Xander asked, asking the question to Buffy.

Buffy stood in the living room for a moment and then realized that it would be a good idea just for everyone to leave. "Okay, Xander," she said, her mouth crooking up in one corner when she smiled, "You guys can leave too. It's late."

Xander and Willow looked at each other and shrugged. "Call a rain check on the hanging out?" he asked Willow.

Willow laughed, pointing at Faith who was staggering in front of them. "Okay... Xander look at Faith."

Faith shuffled across the wooden floor and took her coat that Giles handed to her. "Call me, Giles," she said. "My number is simple. It's-"

"I already have your number," Giles said, trying to play along. He looked at Xander and Willow and made a face.

Buffy watched Giles and Faith exit the house and waved at Giles as he headed out the front door. He waved back, and carefully escorted Faith out the door.

The new details blindsided Brittany and took her breath away. "Willow," Brittany whispered, the image of a drunken Faith being driven away by Giles running through her mind. She saw Giles picking up Faith's black bag and forgetting his own on his way out the door. She wasn't so sure but she was positive that Giles, in the hurry to drive Faith away, might have had a good chance to take only Faith's bag and neglect taking his own. "It has to be Giles."

Willow hesitated, then said, "It must be, Brittany."

Brittany started slightly, looked at her friend, who was seated across from her on the floor. She could see Willow's compassionate eyes of experience and knowledge, and Brittany had to look away.

"Brittany, did you find anything about Giles... that you found incriminating?"

Brittany's eyes began to fill with tears. All this time, she'd been pretty independent, trying to solve the mystery all by herself, going her own way. Now, she discovered the truth, solely because of someone else's help. "Willow, you don't know how much what you said means to me."

Willow smiled at her gently. "If it is Giles... which I'm not certain, then we will make sure we get information out of him."

"Please, you have to do some spell on him or something," Brittany begged.

"We don't know if it's Giles, yet," Willow pointed out, leaning her head against the bed frame.

Brittany bit her lower lip, considering the facts. Then she shook her head. "Giles seems to be hiding some information..." Her eyes lit up, "like his books. He told me not to go to the library and was acting all weird."

Willow knew, without really speaking to Giles for a long time, that what Brittany had said was legitimate details. She wanted to be involved. If Giles really did have a portal to a different time period in his bag, she wanted to know why. She stood up.

"Let's check his apartment," Willow said, approaching Brittany and holding out her hand.

Brittany sighed. She took Willow's hand and got to her feet. "Thank you," she said.

"Right now would be a good time to sneak in his house," Willow suggested.

Brittany swallowed, shaking her head. "He seems to be very alert. I would do it when he's not home."

"Hey it doesn't hurt to check, right?"

"Yeah," Brittany said.

It was agreed, then. Willow and Brittany were to search Giles' apartment. The girls headed out of the room and down the stairs.

Across the street, Xander took the fourth sausage from the vendor as he waited for Buffy to walk near him. Buffy's hands trembled as she struggled to stay warm and awake, her neck feeling the same pain when she hung from the scaffold.

Buffy made sure that Xander didn't see her frustrated face. She watched the scene as she stood five feet away from Xander, her eyes glued on the Roman vendor, with a hairy beard and big gray eyes.

Xander hungrily ate into the sausages from the vendor like a young boy eating applesauce for the first time. Buffy wondered how he could have paid for it.

"Xander, how did you get the food?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

"Like how did you pay for it, Xand?"

Sticking his hands in his pockets, he removed them to hold up some coins, about five inches wide. In his other hand, he held up more coins, but they were a different golden color.

"I took this from Cato's," he said, smiling. "Just in case he kicked me out."

Buffy laughed. "No you didn't." Xander nodded. "Wow, Xand. You thief!"

The smile faded from Xander's face. "Hey, I have to survive."

"Do you have enough money to buy me something?" Buffy asked innocently.

"I'm sorry, Buffy," Xander said, imagining a pouting response that he loved to see from Buffy approaching him. "I don't have enough."

"You liar!" Buffy said, her eyes gleaming at his in the night.

Xander paused to recollect the words. He closed his eyes as he exhaled. They were strikingly familiar to what Illeana had told him before. It was that childish innocence that Xander loved more than anything. He was glad that he still had good memories of Illeana.

"You're right, Buffy. I have plenty of money." He glanced at the vendor, then at Buffy. "What do you want?"

Buffy went over to Xander and gave him a hug. "Anything, Xander." She remembered what he had eaten and continued, "How about those sausages? Those seem pretty yummy."

Xander shook his head. "You wouldn't like them."

"I wouldn't?" Buffy asked, turning her attention back to the vendor and releasing herself from the hug. "What do you have?"

Relieved that the couple was paying attention to him, he announced, "We have fruits, vegetables, and some other appetizers, such as sausages and meats. For you, my lady, I have delicate bread imported from Sabratha. It is popular with the women."

Buffy paused for a second, considering whether she wanted to try the foreign bread or not. She looked at Xander, knowing fully well that whatever he thought, she would do. She felt that he probably knew the food around the area since he had been to the marketplace before.

"What do you think, Xand? Should I?"

Xander thought about it for a minute. "I don't know," he answered.

"Oh come on," the vendor intervened. "You think I would sell you poison or dirty food? For this lady I will decrease the price by half."

Xander stared at the vendor. "How much?"

The vendor pulled out the loaves of bread from underneath the shelf in front of him. "Four Denarius."

Xander took Buffy's hand and gazed into her eyes. "Are you sure you don't want more?"

"I'm fine, Xander," she remarked. "My throat still hurts... the less things I digest, the better."

Xander gave the vendor the required payment, allowing the vendor to hand over the loaves of bread to him. Xander could see Buffy frowning at him. He sighed, looking at her. "I don't have germs."

Buffy smiled brightly. "We were in a jail, Xander," she said. "But I don't care..." She snatched the bread from his hands and devoured the bread.

Xander looked at the vendor. "Have a good morning..." he said.

The vendor smiled back at him. "You too."

Not wanting to stay any longer in that area of the city, Xander led Buffy away into another section and away from the dark shadows and into where the moon was illuminating the most.

"It's a beautiful night," Buffy whispered, eating the last loaf of bread.

Xander smiled at Buffy's pleasure. He looked around the city. It was all there, amazingly constructed. The forums with its huge pillars holding the frames; the temples filled with painted sculptures of the worshipped gods; arches that dangled over the streets; and an enormous bath, sprinkling with water flowing from a fountain. The moon shined off the abandoned bath, making it a wonderful sight.

To Xander, that would be the most romantic spot to take Buffy. He led her towards the bathes, holding onto her free hand and walking peacefully through the city. It was magical to see the water fountains pouring into the pool and the steam flowing out, creating a smoky reverie casting out from the water.

Buffy's face broke into a wide smile upon seeing where Xander was taking her. "This is amazing, Xander. Thank you." She looked at him. "You certainly know your way around the city."

"Nah," he said. If Xander knew his way around the city, he would not hesitate to leave it. However, where he was at the moment was secluded and perfect for what he wanted. "Not too much."

Buffy followed Xander through some pillars into the entrance of the bathes. She could see some mist coming out from the water. The smell of it was fresh and delighting.

"Yeah, Buffy you said it, it is a beautiful night," he said, looking over his shoulder at Buffy.

They went inside the building to the open pool. Xander was very excited to just be near the water and wanted to put his feet in it, just to relax. It was something he remembered loving when he was a part of the Sunnydale swim team.

"Xander, this is too good to be true."

Xander smiled with pleasure.

"The water looks amazing." She paused. "Do you think they have chlorine?"

Xander laughed. "Sit down, Buffy. Let's just sit beside the water."

The pleased look fell from Buffy's face.

"What's the matter, Buffy?"

She groaned sarcastically. "I wanted to swim."

Xander eyed Buffy with uneasiness as he brought her down to the ground beside the pool with his hands. They sat peacefully staring at the water.

The pool did look fresh. The clear streaks of water in the pool lined the entire area. But Xander knew that looks could be deceiving. The aqueduct he saw next to Cato's he noticed did not look very sanitary. Regardless, the atmosphere was stunning.

As they both stared into the water, Buffy looked at Xander. She was flattered and touched that he would be kind enough to bring her down to the bathes. It felt so personal and intimate to be ignored.

Buffy reached out and touched his face. She could see his cheeks flush upon her touch and sweat began to perspire down his forehead, underneath his dark hair. Xander kept his eyes at the pool. He seemed to be in some emotional pain.

She should have told him that day in the scaffold. But she didn't. Knowing how far they had come though, in a way she was relieved. If he had known earlier, she would not know how he would have acted once the Praetorian guards captured her. She was in love with him, wanted to share every minute of her life with him, but couldn't quite dare to speak it out in words.

"Buffy," Xander said quietly, not taking his eyes off the pool. After a slight pause, he added, "This peacefulness and tranquility. I've never felt that before. I've been on the edge every moment here... But now, it just seems so great."

Buffy was silent, but slowly her hand went up to his forehead and pushed back his stray hairs.

"Do you feel that peace?" Xander asked, turning towards Buffy through squinted eyes.

"Yes I do, Xander," she said softly. "It's something I haven't felt either."

"So that's a good thing, right?" he asked, laughing nervously.

"Yes."

Xander was quiet, and he focused his eyes back onto the pool. He didn't know whether or not to make a move on Buffy or let her. He was not entirely comfortable by making the first move, realizing that Buffy could choose not to accept his love.

She was feeling cold, so she slid beside Xander, snuggling next to him. "Xander..."

Xander sat in silence. He felt something was coming. He hoped it would not be Buffy telling him she didn't 'love' him. It would hurt him too much.

Buffy watched Xander's eyes twitch nervously as she gazed into his eyes. "Should I tell him?" she wondered to herself. "How would he feel if he knew?"

Xander was getting impatient with what was going on. He wanted to know right away what Buffy was going to say. "Yeah, Buff?"

Buffy watched as seconds passed, and Xander turned his muscular body away from hers. "Now wouldn't be the right time," she decided to herself.

Buffy knew what was right. She knew that if she told Xander now, there would be no way of going back in the past and changing things. She wanted to tell him at the right moment. He was not happy and she was certain that it wouldn't make a difference if she told him now.

Xander watched the mist gather in the air as Buffy looked shyly in the opposite direction. There were two walls facing each other, while the other sides did not have walls. Buffy read the words written on one of the walls surrounding them. "Welcome to the Baths of Titus."

Xander looked surprised. "It has a name?"

"Yeah, isn't that weird?" she asked, staring at the marble wall containing the welcome sign. Her eyes caught something strange at the bottom. The words pulled Buffy from her peacefulness in the baths to a sickness that formed in her stomach. She read the words, "Orgies on Thursdays."

Xander wanted to know more. "What time on Thursdays?"

She elbowed him. "Xander."

Xander briefly thought how sick it would be to have sexual orgies at the baths, but for the most part, he was excited that they would allow such events. Buffy's nightmare to him was his fantasy. He glanced at Buffy, who was smirking at him.

"What? You'd like to be a part of an orgy or something?" she asked.

Xander's white teeth flashed as he smiled happily. "Hey, I'm a guy."

Buffy considered his comments and flashed him a disgusted look. "Ew, Xander. You ruined what was a romantic time between us."

Xander's eyes narrowed with intensity as Buffy got to her feet. He hooked his hand around her arm and pulled her onto him. Her eyes bore into his.

Eyes locked, neither realized that they were both aroused by the feeling they were getting.

Trying to will herself out of his grasp, Buffy said, "Xander, let me go."

"Go where?" Xander asked in surprise. "We don't have time to play these teenage games, Buff."

He was killing time, hoping that possibly Buffy would stay with him in the baths. He didn't want her leaving and causing a separation between them. He knew that his sarcasm should not be his weakness, but his strength.

"Xander," she whispered. "I swear... you will regret doing this."

"Are you threatening me?" Xander asked in his Beavis impersonation.

Buffy gave him an odd look, suddenly realizing that she could not be serious any longer. Xander's contagious smile stung her defenseless. Weakly, she replied, "I was." Xander instinctively let go of his hold and was surprised to see Buffy still lying on top of him. Breathing softly, she added, "I hate you."

"Another Illeana comment," Xander thought. He could feel her lying peacefully against him, her heart beating in rhythm with his.

It felt so right to be there. Everything felt perfect. The water, fountains, pool, darkness spreading across the skies. The fountain spraying against the ground drowned out all of the other sounds, making it magical.

Buffy lifted her head off his chest and looked at him with her green eyes. She brought her hand to his face and touched his cheek, caressing it softly with her fingers. She leaned in slowly and kissed him tenderly. He kissed back; feeling their days of separation hit him like a lightning bolt.

Buffy closed her eyes and relished the feeling of his fingers, running up and down her arms. She felt him kiss her neck, cheeks, and then her eyes. She grasped his wandering hand and placed them on her breast, a moan rising in her throat as he touched them through her blouse.

Buffy's stomach was in knots. A conflict of emotions raged in her. She wished she could stop and wonder if what they were doing was right, but she decided to go with what was happening.

The Baths of Titus seemed much brighter than before as Buffy pulled back from him, the radiance of the moon onto the pool reflecting onto her face.

Buffy's first reaction was to tell Xander that they needed to stop, but she ruined that thought when she instinctively began to undo the button to his jeans and then unzip them.

Xander watched her as she did it and tried to breathe slowly to try to control his own excitement. As she unzipped his jeans, he could feel himself growing more erect. He could not believe this was happening.

She smiled at him once she had tugged off his underwear. She could see in the corner of her eye how much she had pleased him just by taking them off.

"You have that kind of affect on guys," Xander said.

Buffy giggled. Xander's sense of humor had always delighted her. She bent down and kissed him on his smooth lips. "You want to do what we should've done in the scaffold?"

Xander felt Buffy's hands slide down below, touching him lightly, letting her fingers explore most of his body. Xander groaned, barely able to answer Buffy with a nod from how paralyzed he was.

In one moment, Buffy was on her knees near his legs, her heart pounding out of her chest. The next thing she knew she had her mouth on his cock, sucking and tasting his shaft.

It took Xander several seconds to realize that Buffy had crouched in front of his legs, her blonde hair shimmering all over his genitals, bobbing her head up and down. The sheer pleasure of her wet, moist mouth cut deep into his heart.

"Oh, god," Xander said, leaning back against the marble floor. "This is some dream."

The moment he said that, his eyes rolled back in his head.

It was almost daylight before Willow and Brittany had reached Giles' apartment. After finding out that Giles was home with the many lights on throughout his apartment, the girls sat hopefully in Willow's car, hoping for a chance that Giles might decide to go out. It was a very unlikely thing but it was worth waiting for.

Blending in with other cars parked next to his apartment was too easy. Willow had not made a noise with her station wagon when she moved into the side of the road and turned off her lights in seconds. Once she realized that the car was turned off, she sighed, and listened to any noises that could have been going on in his apartment.

There was one single light in a main room, giving the girls enough illumination to see any shadows walking in and movements he was making.

It took Brittany a couple of seconds to recognize the room she and Willow were staring at. She had slept with Giles in the room that very day. With carefulness, she turned on the radio to try to take Willow's focus away from the room.

"What are you doing?" Willow muttered, turning off the radio right away and gently pushing Brittany back against her seat.

"I was just going to turn on the radio," Brittany explained.

Willow glanced down at the cup of coffee she had kept there for a couple of days. She assumed it was still hot. She handed Brittany the cup of coffee.

"Is it still fresh?" Brittany asked.

"Just drink," Willow said, looking into her eyes tiredly. "Trust me, the amount of time we're going to spend here... you're going to need it."

"You look more tired than I do."

Willow grinned. "I can manage."

Brittany took a sip of the coffee and set it into one of the car's cup holders. "It's pretty fresh." She glanced at Willow. "How old is it?"

"Four days."

"Damn," Brittany said, trying to get the delicate taste of the coffee out of her lips by wiping them roughly.

"Hey, if it tastes good, who cares how old it is?"

Brittany looked up, frowning. "I care. What are you trying to do... poison me?"

Willow frowned at her before hearing some noises in Giles' apartment. She knew Giles was heading towards the lighted room, and she didn't like it. All he had to do was open the curtains and he would see them visibly on the corner of the street. If he did do it, he could call the police and they would be in trouble.

Brittany shook her head, watching Giles' shadow pace around his room. "Doesn't he ever watch television?"

"No, he doesn't," Willow said. The shadow stopped and appeared to be staring through the curtain. "Oh, crap," she added.

The shadow strode across the room towards the curtains.

"Oh my god! What are we going to do!" Brittany gasped, leaning her head forward to see Giles make his approach to the curtains.

Willow spun, her face twisted with frustration. She knew what she had to do. "Kiss me right now, Brittany."

"What?" Brittany asked, taking completely off guard.

"Brittany, for god's sake, kiss me!" Willow said, clutching Brittany's face and pushing her hard into a kiss.

Brittany moaned and closed her eyes, trying to enjoy the sudden feeling of Willow's lips on hers. Each second amazingly, it was getting better. And wetter.

Giles paled as he stared out through the open curtains. The girls making out in the car was totally shocking to him. And from the look of his eyes, he looked as if he wanted to watch them through the night. His mood shifted immediately when he saw the redheaded girl push the other girl down into the seats, shielding themselves from his view.

Giles eyebrows arched dramatically. His gaze slid from the car back to the curtains. He closed them.

"You'll see anything these days," he said. The gleam in his eyes became even brighter upon saying those words.

Buffy and Xander went on through the dark morning, making up for their years as being just friends. They made love by the pool and then held each other every once and a while, to watch the fountain pour its water into the pool. When they were ready to resume what they were doing, Xander would mutter loving words to Buffy between heavy kisses as they wrapped their arms around each other.

When the time was right, Xander gazed at Buffy. Feeling his gaze on her, Buffy's opened her lash eyelids and she smiled down at him. He reached up to touch her face, which was glistened with sweat from their intense action together.

They stared at each other for a long moment, before Xander said, "I'm the luckiest man in the world. I don't know how I remained your friend for so long without making another move on you. You're just so... beautiful."

She lifted his head and licked his lips with her tongue, tasting him. "We should have been lovers," she said, pulling back slightly for some air.

"Well, are we now?" Xander asked innocently.

"Xander, please," Buffy said, smiling. She pulled him back into a kiss. She wanted him, more than ever, for as long as possible. She never before had felt so great with any other man. He was different for sure and undoubtedly the best of them all.

Standing from the distance, Cimberius watched Buffy and Xander kissing inside the Baths of Titus. The sight aroused him as much as it annoyed him. He wondered what he should do. "Should I arrest them or intimidate them?" he thought.

He blinked and let out a loud cough. He stared warily at the couple, hoping that they didn't hear him. He sighed, realizing they hadn't.

Cimberius withdrew his hands from his sword and folded his arms across his chest. "I can hardly wait to speak to these lovers..." He bent forward and squinted his eyes, hoping he could see more bare skin from Buffy. "But, I'll give it time."

Cimberius watched Buffy and Xander kiss in long sequences. He felt exhausted just by viewing them.

He was silent as he turned away, looking to see if anyone was around. His hand ran over his sword and with one motion, he took it out of its case. With his hand firmly on the sword, he turned and walked determinedly in the direction of Buffy and Xander. He was going to do something, but he would have to wait until he reached them to know what exactly what to do.


	10. Before Sunrise

"This is civil war, Pulcher, you realize what you have caused by your stubbornness?" Arpineius asked some ten minutes after Pulcher had finished delivering his speech.

"Sorry." Pulcher was relaxed on the saddle of his horse, concentrating on the road outside the Praetorian camp, yet ready for any violence that could erupt around the area. "There are to my knowledge some governors who want the crown, yes. But you know they're smart enough not to arise a civil war by their greed for power."

"Everybody wants power," Antistius said from the rear horse, following Pulcher closely. Pulcher turned and saw that many other Praetorian guards had chosen to get some fresh air behind Antistius by moving around the camp on horseback.

Pulcher continued forward. "We were heading down to the forum to gather a meeting with the Senators- ask Arpineius about the plan. Unfortunately, I feel the many men we bring along will intimidate the senators. Although, I wouldn't mind, it would be wrong."

"Why do Romans always try to please the senators?" Antistius said, glancing at Arpineius and Pulcher.

Pulcher gave a weak laugh. "They are supposed to be wise. Most of them want a republic. It is funny that they would want it, considering they are the ones who started the Empire by butchering Caesar."

"Caesar was a dictator." Arpineius sounded rather poetic, as though he preferred a dictator to an emperor.

"I know you would have been happier, Arpineius, with a dictator," Pulcher said.

Arpineius actually smiled. Both Antistius and Pulcher were in good moods, after dealing with excruciating hours of talking and collaborating with the two main candidates for Emperor, Sulpicianus and Julianus.

The men continued in silence, on horseback moving around the outskirts of the camp and trotting forward towards the front gates. A couple of minutes later, Pulcher took a turn inside the camp and they soon were welcomed with hollering cheers from the soldiers inside. As usual there were two men on guard at the gate and Pulcher could see their bright smiles light up as he entered.

A group of men and the two candidates for Emperor were distant at the far corner of the camp, just to the left of the main, white building. Pulcher noted that the candidates were gleaming with happiness and pride. It was unfortunate that one of them had to leave without any of it remaining in tact.

A veteran member of the Praetorian Guard, Minucius, manned a table at the side of the camp. A man Pulcher knew for his obedience to any higher authority figure, regardless of who he was. Without saying anything, Pulcher stopped his horse beside the table. The other two horses behind him did the same and they waited in silence, sitting next to the table.

It was a few minutes before Didius Julianus and Titus Flavius Sulpicianus appeared, upbeat and smiling, nodding their head of respect to Pulcher. By this time, Pulcher had made up his mind with his closest friends on who to pick as Emperor. The only thing that delayed him from telling the men was his guilty conscience that he could make a mistake: just as he did a few months before by instating Pertinax as ruler.

Julianus gave Pulcher a confident smile. "How was the ride?"

"Much better than I thought it would be. It took me away from this battlefield for a while. Now, sadly, I'm back."

Sulpicianus looked at Pulcher sharply. "Have you decided, yet? For who you want Emperor?"

"Yes, my friends and I discussed the matter minutes ago. But I've decided not to dispel the decision until later in the morning."

"What? ... Until Sunrise? We don't have much time, Pulcher," Sulpicianus said.

Pulcher smiled, seeing Sulpicianus' passion for Emperor. "My men and I will tell you soon, Titus."

Julianus turned to Antistius and Arpineius. "You men need to edge your friend on to give us your choice. Most of the senate will not be pleased once they find out there is no Emperor."

"We know," from Arpineius. "He will, eventually," from Antistius.

"Well..." Pulcher looked at his friends, smiling. "If you want me to, I can gather our men and the two candidates and make our decision. I think Julianus and Sulpicianus have a point, here. We mustn't leave these great men waiting for too long... especially the Senate."

"So will you announce it?" Sulpicianus asked, his eyes widening, anticipating the inevitable decision.

"Yes, I will." He turned his gleaming eyes towards Arpineius. "Go tell the men. We've waited long enough, haven't we?"

"Yes, sir," Arpineius said simply, edging his horse away from the group.

"These men have gave their lives for me... their sacrifice. It was agreed by me that what we did was the only way to restore the Empire. In all actuality, the Empire has been declining quite rapidly ever since Commodus took power."  
Pulcher glanced at Antistius. "I envy you, my friend. You can blend in with the other men. I can't... that is my curse for being the leader."

"I am not one to envy, Pulcher." Antistius tone hinted regret. He was certainly close to becoming uneasy.

"Of course," Pulcher said quickly. "Arpineius told me what you did to that little girl. If anyone were more deserving of loyalty to the service, it would be you, my friend. I hear a lot of people saying what you did were horrible. It is far from it, Antistius. I've seen many 'horrible' things in my life. It might help you just to stop regretting what you did." He turned his head so he could not see Antistius' sad face. He looked at Sulpicianus and Julianus. "Alright, men, be ready for our decision."

Julianus came closer, peering over Pulcher's shoulder. There was a long pause before he said, "You better hurry."

Pulcher smiled as though he welcomed the thought of displeasing the senate. "Don't worry, it will be done."

He rode his horse past the Julianus and the men, heading to the middle of the camp.

Cimberius wound his way across the street until he reached the entrance to the Baths of Titus- that would provide him a meeting with the lovers. Somewhere inside the Baths of Titus, he heard moans coming from the girl inside again.

"Damn, that man is lucky," he acknowledged. Perhaps he had been too lucky, he thought. After all, his men had chosen the day of their execution to kill the Emperor. The hot blood running in his veins left him no doubt that he had preferred their execution instead of the Emperor's murder. Then a chill ran down his spine. If Buffy and Xander were to recognize who he was, it was unlikely that he would not avoid a fight from either of them. It was him who cut the woman down in the household and it was his sword that killed her.

He came up the stairs past a sculpture of Titus, a former Roman Emperor, and headed into the building.

At the entrance of the Baths of Titus, there was a narrow corridor that led into the huge, beautiful pool and baths. The hallway was painted cream, with gray sculptures on the sides; similar to the one of Titus he went past before he entered.

He walked in the hallway, holding tightly onto his sword, coming closer to the sounds of moaning and kissing.

There was a foreign smell that rushed into the nostrils of Cimberius. It smelt identical to the last time he had came to the Baths. He sniffed in the delicate smell. "Man, I miss this place," he said.

Breathing heavily, Buffy broke a kiss from Xander. Once her breathing calmed, she sighed. "Xander, you don't know how much I've wanted this ever since I laid eyes on you."

"Almost convincing," Xander thought to himself, staring into her eyes. "Maybe she is telling the truth." He turned his head away, hearing some footsteps echo through the baths. "What was that?"

Buffy curved her lips into a frown. "Xander... Didn't you hear what I said?"

Xander had an odd sense that someone was coming into the Baths. It was almost déjà vu from the time he was in Cato's household when he heard the Praetorian Guards outside. He could not ignore his feeling that something was wrong.

For a few seconds, Buffy sat on top of Xander, her face confused. She took a deep breath and shook her head. "Xander... why would anyone be in here with us?"

"Good point," he muttered, trying to convince himself that everything was all right. "I don't know, really. I just have those instincts."

"So do I, and I don't hear anything," she said, plunging her lips down on his. She was reassured once again when she made contact with his lips that he was an expert kisser. She was overwhelmed by his skills of his tongue brushing against hers, that she felt as if she had not been kissed for a long time.

As Buffy came up for air, she realized that she was the lucky one. Xander had detailed numerous times how lucky he was with her. Now, she genuinely felt the same way or even luckier than he was.

"Oh, Xander," she whispered. "I'm so glad we did this, tonight. I really was beginning to think we would never do it."

He gave her a smile, though his eyes were deeply troubled. "Well that makes me the only guy besides Riley you've ever had sex with, right?"

"Shut up," Buffy said, a bit too loudly. "He forgot Parker, but no need to tell him," she thought.

By now the night was beginning to clear into sunshine. Already, Xander had made up his mind that they would wait until the afternoon before trying to find a place to stay. At least that would give them time to relax and think. He wondered if he could find Cato.

Cimberius stepped forward out of the hallway and watched Xander and Buffy from the corner.

"Buffy," Xander began, taking her hand and placing it on his heart. "I was just joking. I'm just jealous that you got to mingle with all those undead guys." During his words, he had snaked his hands around her bare spine and rested them on her neck. Now, with her sitting her naked body on top of his, he pulled her into a brief kiss.

"At least I didn't have Faith first," Buffy said bitterly into his mouth. She nuzzled her nose with his as her body fell onto Xander's.

"That would've been cool if you did," Xander said, his back connecting with the floor. "Though I find it logically impossible... but it would be fun to watch."

"You're so twisted." She shook her head while kissing him.

Cimberius gripped his sword and decided to move. He appeared out of the hallway scurried towards them as they spoke.

Xander touched her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "I am what I am."

"So I see." She allowed herself to take a breath of air from kissing Xander. Then after gaining enough oxygen, she leaned forward, kissing him again.

Their kiss was immediately broken by loud footsteps. They both pulled away and turned to see a Praetorian Guard by their side, pointing his sword at the middle of their two faces.

"Look what I've found here, while on a walk to my home. The two lovers who 'miraculously' survived their execution. You guys should owe me your thanks for being a part of the reason of your survival," Cimberius muttered.

Buffy gazed at him with moist eyes. "What do you want?"

Cimberius twisted his sword around like a Ferris wheel. As he spun the sword, Buffy and Xander staggered backwards on their backs, kicking their feet across the floor trying to get as far away as possible from him.

Cimberius began to laugh. "Why is it... every time you see me, you guys run away? Do I just have that kind of intimidating presence?" There was no reply. He raised his sword in Xander's direction. "You... you caused all this. If you could have just let the girl hang, you would've been fine and everybody else would have."

Xander continued to move back, and Buffy could see of the contours of his frightened face. "Xander?" Buffy asked, her  
voice unsteady.

"Oh, god," Xander thought. He remembered the guard's face but he could not find out where he had seen it.

Cimberius flashed his sword at Buffy. "Lay against the wall." She did as he told, and she watched helplessly as Cimberius came closer towards Xander, his sword still preventing her from moving.

She lay back against the wall, looking up at the sky. "It's over," she thought. "Our adventure is over." The horrible circumstance struck deep into her conscience. She struggled up to her feet, staring hatefully at Cimberius, whose sword stuck out, a few feet away from her neck. "Let us go," she said. Her eyes seemed dead when she glanced at Cimberius then at Xander. "Kill me instead."

"No... you already died. When you hung from that scaffold, you 'were' dead. It is your lover's fault you're not buried in the ground..."

Xander pulled himself into a kneeling position and crawled backward, dragging his feet across the marble floor beside the pool. He might have imagined jumping in the pool and swimming for safety, but he seemed to have given the idea away when he turned his head in that direction.

"No..." Cimberius said. "Don't make me color the pool red with your blood."

Xander shook his head. "We're free. We don't deserve to be butchered like animals."

"Xander!" Buffy shouted helplessly as Cimberius closed in with his sword, still aimed in Buffy's direction, but ready to cut Xander down in one swing.

Xander's thoughts seemed to slow and then warp to events where the guard's face was similar. He was hardly aware if he even recognized the face. It could be a guard resembling someone he had seen before. Xander began to move backward again, but stopped. Cimberius' sword extended past his head, and rested on his neck.

"This sword took that bitch of a woman and now you!" Cimberius yelled.

Cimberius took aim on his neck now, and cocked his sword back ready for the blow. In that second, Xander knew he was the man who had stabbed Acacia in the stomach at Cato's household.

"Xander!" Buffy screamed.

Just as the sword came down to slice him through the neck, Xander lunged and smashed Cimberius' muscular frame into the sidewall. So hard that the wall cracked from the body and the sword fell to the floor.

The slam into the wall was like an explosion gone off in the building, and Xander appeared to be the time bomb. Cimberius tried to free himself from Xander's grasp but Xander grabbed hard onto his arms.

Cimberius continued struggling with his hold on him. Once seconds passed, he finally gave up and closed his eyes. He cursed under his breath.

"Please. If you're going to kill me, do it fast."

Xander nodded violently, snapping his fingers at the sword on the ground. Buffy, in a state of shock, came into reality and went over to pick up the sword.

Sweat dripped down Cimberius' face, his body trembling, words coming out at random as he tried to speak, "The woman... I cut her... I didn't kill her... Pulcher did... I'm not in the Praetorian Guard anymore... Believe me... You can get revenge on him and the others... I know who killed the girl... Please believe me..."

"Right..." Xander said harshly. He took the sword that Buffy gave to him. He stepped back, aiming the sword firmly at Cimberius. "Get on your knees."

Slowly Cimberius obeyed, and Xander pushed him on the floor. It was then that Cimberius began to spill out information.  
"Money, my friend! I'll give you all the money I have. Spare me, please! I didn't kill her... I swear I didn't! I swear on Jupiter... It is my dying word! I can help you... I'll help you."

"How can you help me?" Xander asked.

"Take the sword off me, first."

"No..." Xander said, still holding the sword at Cimberius, who lay on the floor. He rammed the sword high up in his shoulder blades, without sticking the sword fully through, and he slid the sword back playfully.

Seconds later, Cimberius had moved back at the far corner of the pool. He breathed frantically, trying to think of what to do. "Look! Girl, tell him to let me go!" he pointed, his hands trembling in Buffy's direction.

"Leave her out of it." Xander put all of his strength in a kick at Cimberius, causing him to be hurled out against the wall. He slid off the wall, coughing for air.

He scrambled on the floor, on all fours, trying to crawl away from Xander. So Xander put the sword directly in front of him, causing Cimberius to stop dead in his tracks.

"You said you were going to kill me fast."

"Stop moving, then!" Xander snarled.

Cimberius nodded and knelt in front of him. He took several breathes before closing his eyes.

Xander hesitated a bit, before he finally raised the sword, ready to strike Cimberius down. He looked disoriented, not knowing if what he was doing was right.

Buffy saw the look on Xander's face. "Xander! Stop!" she called.

"Yes?" Xander asked, as he stopped the motion of his sword from slicing Cimberius' flesh. He gave a sigh of relief. He was actually happy that he did not kill the man that moment. It would have haunted him.

Behind Xander, Buffy staggered forward, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Xander... What he said... it might be true."

He turned to look at Buffy. He shook his head. "When you're about to die, you say things Buff. For all we know, he could have been lying about everything he said. How can he say he didn't kill Acacia? We saw him stab her in front of our eyes."

Cimberius began to whimper, realizing the two would never believe him. "I swear... I did not deal the death blow on Acacia."

Xander swung his sword at Cimberius but all he got was air. "You said it was on this sword... That is what you said."

Cimberius nodded. "It was... but it was Pulcher who used my sword..."

"Who's this Pulcher guy?" Xander asked. "Why are you mentioning him so much?"

Cimberius was silent for a moment, hoping to delay his execution. Then he spoke wearily, "He is the leader of the Praetorian Guard. He organized the murder of the family that you stayed at. It was his orders, not the Emperor's, that told us to kill the family members."

"So, why should I believe you? You could be the leader... You were the first person in the house..." Xander explained.

"Damn it," Cimberius said under his breath. He wiped off most of the sweat from his forehead. "He is the leader."

"He's right," Buffy said, stopping and looking at Xander. "Why would the leader be here when the Emperor is dead? He would be trying to find a new Emperor. Don't you see that, Xander?"

"Buffy..." Xander began frustratingly.

Buffy shook him by his shoulders. "Xander, listen to me. He said a lot of things that most guys wouldn't say. He knew details... he even said he knew who killed Illeana."

Xander tried to stay as calm as possible. "Okay." He looked at Cimberius, recalling what he had said in panic before. "You said you're not in the Praetorian Guard anymore, correct?"

Cimberius nodded sadly. "Today I left. I can't stand Pulcher and his arrogance," he said. He could feel Xander's suspicious eyes stare into him. "I am not lying."

Xander looked hard at Cimberius. "Now, you said that I could get revenge on the guards... I could tell the last time I saw you that you had friends in the guard... Why would you let me get revenge on them?"

Cimberius glanced across at Buffy, hoping she would stop his interrogation. She showed no expression. He dragged his eyes back at Xander. Perhaps he could be set free. But whatever he would say, Xander would hold all of it to skeptism.

"I told you... Xander... That I left the Praetorian Guard... My friends, however many I had, are not my friends any longer. I am a deserter... a traitor..." Cimberius explained.

"Are you telling the truth?" Xander questioned.

"Yes. I swear upon Jupiter."

Xander sighed. "Please, enough of this Jupiter crap."

Cimberius nodded and stood up. Buffy went to position herself to Xander's left, while Xander lowered his sword slowly.

"Why did you come here to kill us?" Xander asked, holding the sword low but in a defensive position.

"I came here to kill you." Cimberius now appeared to feel more comfortable with Xander Initially he had a wary look in his eyes, which now was replaced by confidence. "You caused a major headache in the guard."

Xander gave him a sharp, puzzling look then he turned to Buffy.

"We should take him hostage," he whispered to her.

"Yeah," Buffy said softly. "And we can stay at his place."

"Good idea," Xander said.

Xander sighed and turned to Cimberius. "Okay... We don't have a place to stay... would you mind offering us some shelter?"

Cimberius answered immediately, "Yes."

"And your not going to try to kill me?"

"No," Cimberius said. "I mean, yes I won't try to kill you." He grunted, shaking his head at his words. "Believe me, I let my emotions get the best of me when I saw you up here."

Xander realized Cimberius was sweating and trembling nervously, still unaware of what his fate would be.

"If what you're telling me is true... then you will live. Just show us where your home is..." Xander began.

"I don't have a home," he stated.

"Uh-huh," Xander said, exchanging smiles with Buffy.

"I seriously don't."

Xander and Buffy's smiles faded.

"So where do you stay?" Xander asked, his tone serious.  
Cimberius flushed. He muttered reluctantly, "My grandfather's."

As he spoke, Buffy moved over next to the pool to pick up her clothes. She took a handful of Xander's clothes and tossed them to him.

Xander raised his sword at Cimberius. "Buffy is going to dress, then she'll take over with this sword."

Cimberius frowned at him at the security measure, but was still pleased that he would be spared. "Thank you, my friend," he said. "My name is Cimberius." He gave his hand out for Xander to shake but he declined.

"We're not friends yet..." Xander said.

Xander, upon seeing Buffy change back into her clothes, motioned Buffy, expecting her to come to him, which she did.

"Here you go, Buffy," Xander half-whispered, giving the sword to Buffy to watch Cimberius.

The ex-praetorian guard smiled at her arrival and it was obvious that his smiles would only gain him disapproval. "Buffy... huh? Nice name."

Buffy looked at him questionably. "Don't talk to me. You don't deserve to even speak for what you did to Acacia."

"I was following orders," he said with sincerity. Then he started to come closer to Buffy, who held the sword at him. "I guess I should offer my thanks for saving my life."

Buffy wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Don't count on it happening again."

"Oh, I won't," he said. "But thanks, nonetheless."

Just then, Xander came back from dressing into his clothes and he entered the group.

"So what do we do now?" Buffy asked Xander.

"We're going to this guy's grandfather's house." He glanced at Cimberius. "Your grandfather wouldn't mind, right?"

Cimberius tried to nod, but grunted instead, "No."

Xander nodded to Buffy. With the pressure relaxed, Buffy jerked the sword to the left, gesturing Cimberius to lead the way. Buffy and Xander waited until he was in front before they began to move forward.

Cimberius glanced back at Buffy and Xander. "It's a long way from here, so prepare yourself."

"Cool! A nice walk!" Buffy said, smiling at Xander.

"Yeah, sounds like fun," Xander replied, grasping Buffy into a hug. He glared at Cimberius who was watching them. "Just make sure you don't lead us to jail."

Cautiously, Cimberius approached the exit of the Baths of Titus. He coughed loudly. This was not what I had in mind occurring, he thought to himself. The sounds of Buffy and Xander flirting with one another broke him out of his thoughts.

"It's going to be a long walk," he decided, trying to distance himself farther away from the two.

"Glad you can make it, Considius!" Arpineius' sarcasm seemed to pass over the heads of many of the guards as the announcement of the new Emperor was being made.

"I was in the bathroom. Did I miss the announcement?"

Arpineius grunted, waving to Considius to where he was standing. "Not yet, but you best hurry!" He looked at the guards standing next to him before adding, "The moment is very near."

Pulcher gave a brief introduction and left out the names of the candidates until the end. "Pertinax was an old man... 66 years-old when he was slain. Our candidate is just as old but with age... comes wisdom. We are certain that we have discovered the wisest Emperor for many years..." He paused before adding, "In fact, we probably found the most competent Emperor in history."

"Who? Who's the Emperor?" a soldier asked.

"This candidate served as governor of no fewer than four provinces," Pulcher told him. "We choose Imperator Caesar Marcus Didius Severus Julianus Augustus as our Emperor."

Both Pulcher and Arpineius looked for any signs of distress from Sulpicianus, who merely shook his head in disbelief.

"Didius Julianus," he said quietly. "Why in heaven's sake?"

"You okay with my decision, Sulpicianus?" Pulcher asked.

"Yes, sir." He staggered, falling downward on his heels, almost to the ground. "I'll be leaving right now. Though I will be back to check on how things go."

"Are you sure you don't need an escort?" Pulcher, like many Praetorian Guards, had the serious, suspicious tone, even when asking innocent questions.

"I'm fine," Sulpicianus said firmly.

Pulcher gave a long sigh. "Sorry if my decision disappoints you, Titus. You are still a good man."

Sulpicianus looked at Julianus, cold-eyed. "I hope you have the courage to be an Emperor, my friend. You will need it."

"I do, Titus." Julianus' mind was sharp now, even though his body appeared to be preparing him for a lengthy period of unconsciousness. He had worked for people his entire life and now he was relinquished of that duty until his death.

Sulpicianus nodded toward Julianus before continuing, "Goodnight, Caesar."

There was a long pause before Julianus answered, "Goodbye, friend."

While Julianus stood watching him, Sulpicianus decided that his time in the camp was unnecessary and he headed towards the gates. He had spent the whole night wondering what he would do as Emperor, and it seemed that he would now spend the rest of his life wondering what could have been if he was one.

Pulcher and Arpineius looked very concerned by the time Sulpicianus left the camp.

Julianus felt like dancing. Tall, broad-shouldered, with blond curly hair and beard, he was dressed elegantly with a purple toga. The color distinguished him from the rest of the men and suddenly his presence became much more evident. All of the guards stared in awe at him, but Julianus just smiled back, as though nothing had happened. His dimple on his smile oozed out respect and happiness at the decision.

Pulcher stepped down from the bench he had made his speech. He knew he was now nothing more than a servant to the Emperor. He would probably never hold the sort of power he had with his men again.

Julianus came up to the bench and shook Pulcher's hand. He didn't let it go as Pulcher said, "Congratulations, Caesar."

"Thank you, Pulcher. It is you I owe all my thanks."

Considius looked displeased from the crowd. He glanced at Arpineius. "He's so lucky."

"We're the ones that are lucky, Considius," Arpineius replied.

Pulcher smiled at Julianus and continued to hold on to his hand. He was enjoying the last moments of his power by deliberately keeping Julianus' hand with his own. He seemed to know that he would just be another Praetorian Guard soldier once he left his grip.

Pulcher leaned his head forward and whispered into Julianus' ear, "We expect a lot of you. Stay strong, Caesar."

"Every Emperor is, aren't they?" he asked, smiling.

"Civil war is brewing, Julianus," Pulcher whispered. He tried not to frown. "Enjoy the moment, Caesar, but don't bask in the glow of power too long..."

Julianus looked a bit shocked as he said to Pulcher, "I will, thank you. Come speak to me again shortly after my speech. We need to discuss politics."

"Of course, Caesar."

"Now do me a favor," Julianus said. "Stop holding onto my hand."

"Sorry, Caesar." Pulcher let go of the hold and heard a few crude comments from the crowd; then laughter. He went away from Julianus, not turning to look at him again. He was slightly embarrassed, but he greatly respected Julianus. Perhaps he admired him too much. By holding his hand however, he wanted to make sure Julianus knew how he felt. He wanted to be the closest to the Emperor.

Julianus looked composed. "So, men, what do you want?" he asked to them. He climbed onto the bench, a soldier helping him by putting an arm around his waist.

There wasn't a sound once Julianus was standing on the bench. "I know you men desire something... Money will be given to you all..." Julianus said.

"To individuals or to the Guard itself?" a soldier asked.

Julianus glared at him, insulted by his comment. "Individuals certainly. The guard already has this lavish camp to accommodate them."

Considius was looking at Julianus as though he'd lost his mind. "You have to be kidding me, right? This camp is garbage. There is dirt everywhere. No supplies or outlets to armory nearby. The sewage system is poorly contained... I just took a shit there."

Julianus didn't argue. He realized if he did he would draw an unnecessary barrier between him and the men and their opinions. He nodded his head.

"I will give you men a better camp... In fact, you all can reside in the Imperial Palace for the time being while I accumulate money for a new camp."

"Yes!" a soldier cried. "Hail Caesar!"

Julianus smiled. "It's a pleasure to hear those words." He let himself weep for a couple of minutes, then struggled to get his emotions under control. "I'm sorry, men. I am just so honored," he said out loud. Wiping his face with his hands, he staggered off the bench and went into the sea of the Praetorian Guards. The men nodded their head in respect and watched him head in the direction of the side building.

Neither Considius nor Arpineius were impressed. "I don't know about you..." Considius began. "But that was one of the worst acceptance speeches I have ever seen."

"Your right," Arpineius agreed.

"Yet, it was better than Pertinax's..."

Arpineius didn't like hearing the former Emperor's name, Pertinax. He was still reeling over what had occurred that same night, and the change was difficult.

"His speech lasted until sunrise the night Commodus was strangled," Considius added.

The sarcasm did not faze Arpineius. "Ultimately, speeches don't mean anything." He glanced towards the bench where the Emperor previously stood. "It is his promises that we judge him by."

Considius tried to look happy. "Cheer up, Arpineius. Every Emperor makes promises... some he can keep, some he can't."

Arpineius examined Considius' face, obviously checking to see if he was serious or not. He wanted to ask him why he felt the need to make a remark implying that it was all right that Emperor's do not make promises sometimes. A promise to Arpineius was something that always needed to be lived up to.

Arpineius couldn't hold his frustration in any longer. "Remember what he promised, Considius. If he does not keep his promises, there are others who can."

Considius stood staring blankly into the night as Arpineius walked around him, disappearing into the crowd of Praetorian guards.

Willow and Brittany were in the front of Willow's car, lying on top of each other. They had waited at least ten minutes since the curtains opened inside Giles' apartment and were starting to wonder how much longer they would last.

"Let go of me!" Brittany said to Willow.

Willow's left hand cupped the back of her neck, and as she slowly drew herself off of her, she said, "I was waiting for you to tell me that."

Brittany glanced behind Willow at Giles' apartment to make sure Giles wasn't there, then said, "I know you were enjoyed that, you lesbian. Remember, I only made out with you not to get seen."

"You think I did that because I wanted to? Ugh..."

"You didn't stop until just now."

"I was just making sure," Willow whispered. "You know Giles... he's one of those guys that stare at something he's interested at for hours..."

Brittany glanced at her and shook her head. "She's right," she thought, recalling when she had to change into her clothes under Giles' watch. She leaned her head upwards, trying to adjust into the passenger seat. "So... how much longer do we wait?"

Willow grabbed the keys on the floor. "Well, we know he's home, probably sleeping. We should just try another time."

Brittany didn't argue with her. The kissing she shared with Willow had numbed her from any reaction. There was really nothing she could do when Willow started the engine of the car. All she could do was just laugh.

"What the hell is so funny?" Willow asked her.

"You... me... kissing in here. Who would've ever thought? I wouldn't have..."

Willow tilted her seat back and closed her eyes. "It was a necessity. If we didn't, then he would have thought we were hiding something."

Brittany took the keys out of the ignition without taking her gaze off Willow. "What's the rush?"

"I just want to get you out of my car."

"Wow... a lot of hostility here..."

"No!" Willow snapped. She snatched the keys out of Brittany's hand. "Don't take anything without asking."

Brittany frowned. "You kissed me without asking, what's the difference?"

Willow looked a little weary as she said to Brittany, "Big difference. And stop reminding me..."

"I don't want to leave yet." Brittany was looking outside the car at the streets when she made the comment.

"To be honest, I don't want to either," Willow admitted.

"What?" Brittany questioned, taken off guard.

Willow didn't hesitate. She moved across the seat, threw her arms around Brittany's neck, and kissed her. Her mouth covered Brittany's in a long, hot, arousing kiss. Willow didn't overpower her with the kiss but instead was extremely soft as her mouth slid across hers.

Brittany could have pulled back, but she didn't want to. She hungrily kissed Willow back.

Willow groaned in Brittany's throat, which only encouraged Brittany to kiss her harder. When she at last pulled back from Brittany, her shoulders laid against hers.

Brittany pushed away from her, trying to get some breathing space.

They shared a long smile, and then Willow took the keys she had dropped from the floor. Another car pulled in and parked three rows behind them as she started the car.

Brittany suppressed a yawn. She was exhausted, but she didn't complain. She had for the most part, had a wonderful day. She was not disgusted with Willow's advances towards her. She was certain that she enjoyed the feeling just as much as Willow had.

Brittany laughed in delight. "Drive, please."

Willow nodded. "Yes. I'm assuming your place?"

"As long as I'm with you," Brittany said.

"You will be," Willow assured her. It took her several seconds before she drove the car away from the side of the road. She cleared her head and said, "I'll drive to my place. We can 'study' there, if you catch my drift."

Brittany became aroused very quickly. She put her hand on Willow's thigh and moved it upward to fondle her breasts.

"As long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter where we are," Brittany said.

The walk to Cimberius' grandfather's house was excruciating. Keeping up with Cimberius was a full-time job, but Buffy and Xander found it enjoyable. They hadn't felt this happy for years. Xander was the alert one, ironically, while Buffy, with the enthusiasm and innocence of a little child, did not worry about any turn they made into a deserted street.

Xander couldn't blame Buffy for being so naïve. He had carried that same feeling after he arrived in Rome. The result for him was not exciting, and it wasn't until he figured that Buffy would be on the scaffold when his innocence towards the city had evaporated.

Before they had reached Cimberius' grandfather's home, Buffy spent her time gazing into Xander's eyes. Whenever Xander said anything to her, such as discussing the buildings or sculptures, she rewarded him with beaming green eyes, all of them pertaining to her sexual desires.

Just witnessing Buffy's expression allowed Xander to relax and contemplate how fortunate he was. If he had not opened the bag without Buffy by his side, he wondered if he would not even survive a day by himself.

She was turning into an amazing girlfriend, but Xander didn't view that as such strength, for he had assumed Brittany and Anya were the same. He believed instead with his heart that Buffy was different, and her loyalty to her lovers unparallel to any other.

She never cheated on her boyfriends. Xander spent the remaining minutes before reaching the grandfather's home, thinking about that statistic. He had cheated on his girlfriend, as has Willow, but Buffy, never did. As long as he held that fact and believed the truth, he would feel wonderfully relaxed.

Xander then shifted his thoughts to protecting Buffy. He wasn't Superman by any means. He had a distorted view of his heroic prowess, changing from images of Harmony and him in a hair-pulling duel, and then to forcing the zombie freak to diffuse a bomb at Sunnydale High School. No matter what he had done contradicting who he was, he had made up for it in Rome. He was methodically saving Buffy and himself from any danger. Xander hadn't been close to death, but then Xander knew eventually that it would be the 'ultimate jinx,' as Buffy would say, to be too confident. If anything, Cimberius could be leading Buffy and him into a deadly trap.

He was turning toward the east when he saw a large house in the distance, maybe a hundred yards away. Heading to the house, Xander watched Cimberius until he stopped to talk to them.

"Well, here it is," Cimberius said. "My grandfather's house."

Five minutes later, Cimberius was standing outside the door, waiting for someone to open it. Looking behind him at Buffy and Xander, he saw their blank and skeptical faces. He knew they were wondering why he had to knock on a relatives' house without going in.

Cimberius decided to answer their skeptism. "I barely come down here," he said as they both gave him an exaggerated sigh. "You think I'm lying again? I spent my life down at the Praetorian camp and in the Imperial Palace."

His statement made Xander smile. "That's nice," he said. "Are you trying to brag when you tell us this?"

Buffy poked him in the arm. "Xander..."

Ignoring Xander's words, Cimberius faced the door as it opened in his face. One glance at the man at the door and he cringed. He was so offended at what he saw that he didn't think it would be a great idea to come inside. "Maybe later on," he thought, when his grandfather wasn't drunk.

His grandfather shook his head. He must have been tired. It took a long time for him to figure out who was in front of him.  
He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them.

Cimberius stepped back, brushing in between Buffy and Xander. Childishly, he muttered, "You guys can go in first."

"Cimberius!" his grandfather demanded. "Where have you been?"

"I'm going," Cimberius said. He used his strength to push Xander out of his way so he could leave.

Xander grabbed his arm when he started in the opposite direction. "No, you're not."

Cimberius pushed his arm away from him. "You're going to see why I don't want to be around him." He moved slowly to  
the front door.

"Hurry up," Xander ordered.

When Cimberius reached the opened door, he slowly pushed past his grandfather and looked inside. There were many used beer jugs sitting at a far table. He was furious. To make matters worse, he saw a beer jug in his grandfather's hand. He snatched it from him. "What kind of man are you?"

Keeping his eyes at Buffy and Xander, his grandfather spoke into his ear. "Who are the lovely guests?"

"Damn it, Paulus!" Cimberius shouted as he placed the half-full beer jug onto a nearby table. "You swore you would give up drinking. You swore. This was a pledge we made years ago."

Paulus' eyes were dilated and his wrinkled face was twisted with amusement. His brown eyes went back and forth at Buffy and Xander. "What are your names, my guests?"

"Did you hear what I said!" Cimberius shouted. His grandfather didn't reply. He shook his head. "Bastard." Then he walked away into the house, pounding his feet into the floor.

Xander glanced at Buffy, not knowing who should tell him first. A sudden gleam came into Buffy's eyes, and Xander knew she was going first.

"I'm Buffy," she said to Paulus.

Paulus took a step closer to her and sniffed her hair, "You smell nice."

"I'm Xander." Xander scolded like he was disciplining a child. "Can we come in?" He asked loudly. He glared impatiently at Paulus, who still wouldn't remove his nose from Buffy's hair.

"You guys a couple?" Paulus asked.

Paulus was driving him crazy. Xander shoved through the door and hurried ahead, while grabbing Buffy's hand. He tried not to bump into Paulus, but Paulus moved his body into his as he snuck through.

"Where are you going? We were about to have a nice conversation," he muttered.

Xander and Buffy didn't respond and they followed where Cimberius had disappeared.

"Can't we ever get some house owner who's normal?" Xander asked Buffy.

Buffy understood how he felt. "I don't think he has a wife, so that's good."

Once he and Buffy had reached Cimberius in the kitchen, Xander didn't waste time telling him that he couldn't stand being with a drunk. "This is an embarrassment, Cimberius. We'll just find an inn, then afterwards find somewhere else to stay."

"Will you stop bickering? I feel the same way," Cimberius said.

Cimberius had just walked out of the kitchen when he heard his grandfather yell. He flinched at the noise.

"God, why doesn't he die?" Cimberius asked himself. He glanced at Buffy and Xander in the kitchen and blurted, "I'll be back. Wait here." Cimberius walked away.

Xander scratched his jaw while considering what to do. "I don't know, Buffy. There might not be another place for us to stay."

"Well... we dealt with a wife abuser..." Buffy said, shrugging. "Why can't we persevere with a drunk?"

"Still..." Xander said, glaring at Buffy. "We should find a comfortable place to stay. You saw that man's face, didn't you, Buffy? We're going to have to deal with that for a while," he told her.

She shook her head. "Xander... stop it."

Xander didn't answer. Thankfully, he didn't have any sarcastic remarks to make. He raised an eyebrow. "Stop what?"

Buffy became defensive. "Trying to make my time here as best as possible. We're both in Rome and in a shitty situation. There's nothing we can do to make our stay here delightful. Like you said, this is not a vacation. And if we stay with a drunk, hell, we will."

Xander decided that she was right. He felt as though he was indeed trying to make Buffy feel comfortable too much. His eyes narrowed as he looked over at her again. "Okay. I'm sorry Buff."

Buffy smiled in spite of his pity looking face. "I appreciate what you're doing, Xander. I really do. But we're beggars now... we don't have the option of choosing."

"Get them out of here!" Paulus shouted from another room.

"No, I'm not," Cimberius said. "You let them in," he added, mentioning Buffy and Xander's names. "They are homeless and need some shelter, all right?"

They heard arguing from both of them. Then there was a loud crash in the wall.

Buffy and Xander turned to see who was coming inside the kitchen, but Xander kept his attention on Buffy. If it was the drunk, he wasn't going to let Buffy get hurt.

Cimberius sauntered in and staggered to a stop when he spotted Buffy and Xander.

"What happened?" Buffy asked him.

Cimberius strode forward, thinking he could elbow his way between Buffy and Xander. "Follow me, your room's upstairs."

It was evident by Cimberius' voice that he had done something physical. All the signs were there. He didn't look them in their eyes, and he was becoming more agitated and hostile. He kept stomping on the floor in anger.

The noise of his stomping stopped suddenly and he turned to look at Buffy and Xander. "You coming?" he panted.

They both nodded. Then Cimberius' stomping started up again, in a louder, furious way. It sounded like gunshots.

Cimberius frantically searched the house. He wouldn't have any problems about taking the couple around the house as long as he could find the room he remembered he had stayed at last. He rounded the corner of the house into what he thought was the room.

Xander noticed upon entering, that the room had only one window. It was relatively dull, and there was only a small table and a bed just a couple of feet to its left. He entered the room and then sat down on the bed, followed by Buffy.

Cimberius waited until Buffy and Xander had relaxed on the bed. Then he stepped beside them.

"You guys can stay in this room," Cimberius said.

"Thanks," Buffy replied.

"Sorry if nothing in here entertains you," Cimberius said as he crossed the bed to the other side of the room. He pulled a key from his pouch and showed Buffy and Xander. "If you guys want privacy..." he began, tossing the key at Xander. "Feel free to lock the door."

Xander grinned. "Thanks. Where'd you get the key?"

"I've had it ever since I was a little boy," he said as he started towards the exit. "You take care of her, alright Xander. You understand?"

"I will," he said, smiling.

"I'm just going to see if Paulus woke up. I slammed the poor man's head in the wall," Cimberius said.

Xander wasn't sure if he was trying to be funny or not. "Oh, well, we'll just stay here."

When Cimberius left, Xander put the key on the table nearby, then lay back against the bed.

Xander was tired, and surely his fatigue was the reason he was in such a foul mood. He didn't even want to be in the same room as Buffy. He was the nice guy, he reminded himself and at this juncture, he could offend Buffy and separate himself from her through his grumpiness.

Buffy was laying on her back beside him. Xander stared at her and thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She looked like an angel, with her long blonde hair spread across the bed and her outstretched arms. He liked everything about her. Her confrontation with him seconds before was something he needed in order to keep himself in check.

"I'm going to force you to go to sleep," Buffy murmured as she rolled to her side, her arms wrapping firmly around Xander's chest.

Xander mockingly tried to break her grasp. "No! Never!" he laughed.

A minute later Xander was still in her hold. He finally closed his eyes, relaxing peacefully in her arms.

He got in four hours of sleep before Cimberius woke him. Xander heard him make his way up the stairs and had prepared himself to be ready when he opened the door, expecting the drunken man.

Cimberius waited until Xander rose from the bed. Then he walked into the room. "Xander, we need to talk," he whispered. "It's about you."

Xander glanced at Buffy. She was asleep like a rock. She had a sheet wrapped around her, and both her legs were dangling off the end of the bed.

He carefully lifted her arms off his chest and rolled off the bed. When he stood up, he wrapped the sheets over her that he had disrupted.

Fighting the sudden urge to kiss her, he followed Cimberius out of the room.

"Xander, it's nice to finally speak with you... alone," Cimberius said, extending his hand to his back. "I want you to know that I have great respect for you as a person. What you've witnessed is something no man should ever go through."

Xander stared into Cimberius' dark eyes. "Why'd you wake me?"

"I wanted to-"

"I was sleeping... peacefully..." Xander said.

Cimberius nodded. "I know."

Xander stepped forward. "You wanted to what?"

Cimberius didn't look at Xander when he replied, "Revenge. You know... you wanted it, right?" He glanced at Xander. "The people who killed the mother and child."

Xander took a deep breath, hoping to avoid the unpleasant remembrance of their deaths. "Yes."

"I'll be straightforward with you. Right now, you wouldn't be able to."

"Cimberius, I don't want to talk about this now."

"No, we need to discuss this. Especially since the sun has came up."

"It already happened. It's done with. I want to move on..."

Cimberius was not going to allow Xander to get off easy. "I woke you up for a reason, Xander. I can help you... kill those guys. Pulcher, Arpineius, Antistius..."

"They're just names. I don't even know them." Xander wanted to go back to bed and lay down next to Buffy.

"Listen to me, damn it. You can't live your life spending every waking hour with her. You have to face reality, Xander. These men, once they find out where you are... which I'm certain they will... you and her will be dead."

Xander gave in to what he was saying. He went into the room across from his own and took a chair to sit in. Cimberius remained standing. "I remember I almost killed you," Xander said. "I let you live... and this is what I get in return."

"I am not forcing you out of this house, Xander," Cimberius said. "When I thought about the Praetorian Guards, I realized that they use scapegoats for their problems. I left the camp around midnight and I believe the Guards knew of my desertion. Pulcher, I believe, likes me. So I don't think he will want to kill me. He usually blames other people for problems. Hell he blamed Pertinax for our problems, when Pertinax really had nothing to do it. The only crime Pertinax committed was being too gracious with the Senate. I am positive Pulcher will remember sparing your lives and he will want to take his anger out on you and Buffy for my absence. He will have wanted signs all across the city. Someone who sees you will turn you in or even my grandfather. In the end, it's up to you to make a choice. If there is only one of you here, then that could be manageable, but two, it leaves you both in danger."

"This doesn't make any sense to me. I am free. I think you're taking all these details and blown them up into some kind of drama that doesn't exist."

"The drama does exist, Xander," he said. "I've been in the Praetorian Guard only less than a year and I am telling you, the Guard is a service stirring up trouble, not dispelling it."

"So what do you want me to do? To leave the city... never come back... and leave Buffy here..."

Cimberius was outraged at what he suggested. "No," he said, and he circled Xander who sat in a chair next to an oak table. "I want you to get revenge on those men... which you deserve. I want revenge as well. It can work out for both of us. I think you are a strong, brave person to undergo this task."

"But you said I'm not able right now to seek revenge," Xander argued. "If I'm not capable, then why would I seek it?"

"The men who killed that poor woman... and child-"

"You killed the fucking woman! You stabbed her in the chest for Christ's sake!" Xander shouted.

"Yes, I stabbed her," Cimberius said. "I was just following orders."

"Orders, huh?" Xander decreed. "The same thing the Nazi's said after killing millions of Jews. Don't you have a conscience! Just the mere action of abusing a family is wrong, but butchering them... that is absurd!"

Cimberius' eyes widened. In a hushed voice, he said, "Don't wake Buffy. She doesn't need to know."

"Why does it matter? You think I won't tell her about our little conversation?"

Cimberius grabbed a chair from the corner of he room and went to put it beside Xander. He sat on it and grabbed his hand tightly, "You should. Because it's important."

Xander leaned against the wall, looking at Cimberius like he was an interrogator. He could almost see the animosity in his eyes to tell him the facts. "You're trying to tell me something, aren't you? Tell me..."

Cimberius looked around the room, then at Xander. "I want you to train... to become a warrior... learn how to fight. The men who took out the family, especially Pulcher, only know so much of combat. Pulcher, himself, is out of shape and could be beaten by you right now. But I want to make sure..."

"Why don't you get revenge? You know how to fight."

A shiver came down Cimberius' back the second Xander said that. He laughed, trying to shake it off. "I need an accomplice. Today, assassinations are never done by one person."

"Ever heard of John Wilkes Booth or James Earl Ray?"

Cimberius shook his head. "No."

"Figures," Xander said, trying to make Cimberius uneasy.

"Look, you are the only person who's man enough to announce your disliking towards the Praetorian Guard. I know many others who want to do something, but can't. You have that desire I need..."

"You're trying to use me then..."

"No. You want revenge also, correct?"

Xander nodded solemnly. "Yes... but it depends on what costs."

"Join the Roman legions."

Xander stood and nearly tripped over the chair he had sat on. "No... That's the last thing I would want to do."

"You must," Cimberius said, rising to his feet. "You can train and become a well seasoned solider. You can even stir up enough men to be on your side if you want to kill Pulcher or Arpineius."

"I don't care," Xander said, walking out of the room. "The army is out of question."

Xander stood just outside the doorway of the room, pacing nervously as he waited for the right moment to go into Buffy's room.

"I'll give you time to think about it," Cimberius added, standing next to Xander.

Xander whirled around to confront Cimberius. "What about Buffy?"

Cimberius nodded. He glanced appreciatively at the sleeping woman on the bed. "She will be fine."

Buffy looked stunningly beautiful as Xander watched her from the distance. He moved closer to her, entering the room, and stopped just inches in front of her.

Cimberius scratched his chin and said, "Training is today if you're up for it. I can go into it with you."

Xander shrugged. "Maybe."

"Well, speak to me later on and we can discuss this..."

Xander turned and stepped forward to where Cimberius was standing and shut the door in his face. He went to pick up the key on the table and he rushed to lock the door. The door opened slightly but was shut and locked before Cimberius could enter.

"I want some fucking privacy," Xander said.

"Bastard," Cimberius said through the door.

Xander shook his head and turned towards the bed. It was easy for him to decline what Cimberius offered but he couldn't throw away enough strength or courage to do so. He was sure that it would endanger his life if he joined the legions. "Do I have the courage to join the army?" he thought.

Xander took a step toward Buffy but stopped when she stretched her hands up and yawned. "Xander... why are you up?"

His heart was racing. "I just couldn't get any sleep..."

He stood there as long as he could, hoping she could buy it. "Come back to sleep," she said as she grabbed his t-shirt and pulled him towards her. "Don't you dream at all?"

Xander lifted his head and stared into his eyes. "Yes."

"About what?" she asked.

He wouldn't let himself answer the question untruthfully. "Would you be freaked out if I said it was you?" There was laughter in his question.

Confused by his reaction, she sat stiff on the bed, looking into his eyes.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Nevermind."

Xander titled her chin up, brushed his mouth over hers, and then whispered, "I don't want to dream..."

Before she could argue, or worry, or say anything, his mouth took possession of hers, his tongue sliding in out of her mouth. She stroked his chest, caressing his back. They were both struggling for air when he ended the kiss and sat back.

"Take off your pants," was all that Buffy said.

This time, Xander obliged.


	11. Lost in Nostalgia

The bed was hard, the pillow was rough, the air stale, and the whole room lacked any signs of life except the presence of an open window. Xander wished he could be anywhere else besides the room, where his mind could be clear from worries of the odor and dirty air coming from the outside. He might even have considered the streets as a luxurious place to sleep than in the room. As it was, he was greatly displeased by his stay in the home and wished whole-heartily that he could go straight to his apartment in Sunnydale, and relax on his comfortable bed for days.

Xander was asleep in his thoughts, his body frozen, and for a second he thought he was awake. Every thought that came into his head seemed inappropriate. He dreamt hours of lovemaking with Buffy in numerous positions and places. He felt guilty about thinking about Buffy that way, which came now so easily, and with it coming so frequently in reality, it became much more difficult to fathom. Thoughts of their eight years of friendship came back to him, more importantly of his dream within a dream of Buffy's words to him near the playground of "brother." Was he really a brother to her?

Buffy stared at Xander's sleeping face, noticing how much he had changed since she saw him at his apartment. He looked ruggedly handsome, she thought. She could see muscular shoulders and a flat stomach that she never recognized before. He was very strong, as if he had the body of Angel or Spike combined, and his hair was thick and laid across his forehead. It occurred to Buffy that she might have overlooked Xander's physical appearance and been focused too much on being his friend.

Buffy was surprised at Xander's drowsiness, but it seemed fitting after all of the work he had been through. Especially their own work. Buffy's own exhaustion from sex caused her to sigh loudly. She guessed that she needed a month's worth of sex to fully have her stamina.

She searched for any signs of Xander awaking from his sleep. When she realized he was not, she took a deep breath and said, "Xander, it's nice to finally see you sleeping."

Her words startled him out of his sleep, and he looked at her with tiredness in his eyes. Then, after shaking his head to wake himself up, he slowly winced out a smile.

"Thanks..." he mumbled. He brought his hand to his eyes, and rubbed out the weariness from them. "I can see you didn't hesitate to wake me from my sleep."

Buffy felt something sting inside her, that made her feel a little dizzy. His words seemed foreign and different, like they had not been heard from for many days. He was different to her. He wasn't the same Xander anymore. He was her lover.

She found herself fighting to bring back her memories of the goofy friend she cherished, but it wouldn't come. She expected the feeling to hit her, and she didn't want it to happen. She loved Xander as a friend and more than that also, but she wasn't ready to lose the memories of the friend she had known for eight, long years.

It was not that she did not want to be with Xander sexually. There was no one in the world except Xander whom she would want more to make love with. A couple days however, seemed too quick to butcher whatever they had for those years. "How good it was to be just his friend," she thought. "Then again, how good it was to be kissing and fucking him."

Xander put his hands around her naked body, drawing her close. They held onto each other tightly, yet loose at the same time, both of them sharing a strong emotional attachment.

They remained holding each other for minutes before Buffy finally pulled back to look at him. She looked into his dark eyes, seeing changes that she had not noticed before. There were deep purple ovals surrounding his eyes, and a glint in them that she had never seen. There was a new image of him; he was less sarcastic, more serious, and the way he was holding her made her realize that he had combined both of those traits.

Her eyes widenened when Xander's hand wandered below her waist. She laughed nervously while reluctantly releasing herself from their embrace.

"You don't want my hands there, huh?" he asked, curiosity showing on his face.

"I'm sorry... It's just weird..."

"I'm weird," he said, smiling. "I just like butts and I cannot lie..."

She leaned further back from Xander, trying to get her emotions in check.

"It's not that. I just remember us being friends and on the streets of Sunnydale, walking peacefully together. We weren't lovers then, just friends. It was a good feeling."

Xander frowned slightly. "So this is not one?" He leaned his body back a bit. "Buffy, I feel the same way, I really do. But this is certainly a better feeling than when we were friends."

"It is. I know." He was right, no doubt about it.

"So why are you like this, then?"

His question made Buffy realize that her insecurities were getting out of hand. The more she discussed how difficult it was, switching from friends to lovers, the more distance she would separate herself from him in their relationship. She didn't want that to happen.

To her surprise, Xander added, "Buff, I know how you feel. It doesn't make any sense, that's true. There was no warning or foreshadowing of this to occur, but it happened... I'm thankful that it did. I know it is tough to believe that our friendship is basically gone-"

"No!" Buffy protested. "It's not gone. It never will be."

"Well if you call what we did a couple hours ago... friendship, then I guess we need to make a new definition of what you think friendship exactly is," he said, noting the shivering in her ankles. He drew up the sheet to cover them. "I want to be yours, Buffy. Anything you want me to be, I'll be it. Just tell me."

"You are mine," she said gently. She reached for his cheek, and he let her caress it as they lay staring at one another. She continued, "I want you to be my lover, Xander. Even though I don't know why I have these misgivings about it." She paused and then said, "Why don't we have sex again?"

"Just like we did hours ago?"

"Why not? I think we both can use a little workout."

Xander hesitated and leaned closer to her. "Buff..."

She gazed into his eyes. "Come on Xand... please..."

She started toward kissing him but Xander turned his head, surprising her, looking in the opposite direction until she pulled back.

She looked at him with questions in her eyes. "You don't want to...?"

It was a long moment before he answered.

"I do." He looked down when he said it, suddenly feeling a bit upset. "I mean... I want to... but-"

She thought she heard something strange in his tone, and she began to feel worried. "Xander, tell me what's wrong..."

Xander laughed, feeling strange to be telling her something that he truly did not feel committed enough to admit. "The sex... Buffy... There has to be more to us than just sex..."

She hesitated. "There is..." she said, trailing off, and the way she responded made him believe she wasn't certain.

"You think so?"

Buffy answered automatically. "Yes."

Her words hurt Xander. He once again heard something in her tone, the similar way she spoke that gave away the idea that she was telling the truth. He gently took her face into his hands, kissing her softly on the lips. The glint in his eyes faded when he broke the kiss and faced her.

"Buffy... I'm not Spike..."

"I know your not, Xander."

He stared at her for a second, wondering if he believed what she said. Then he nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the sex, Buffy. It is amazing. But that is all we do..." He paused. Then he added, "I want something more to us than sex. This relationship we're having isn't genuine with just sex."

She thought about it, and decided that Xander was probably right. All they had been doing was having sex it seemed. She smiled slightly at him and nodded.

"I guess you have a point."

"I'm not saying we should stop having sex..."

"I know, Xand."

"But..." he laughed softly. "I want more than that. I have loved you too long to settle for you just for sex. I want more."

"What do you suggest?" she asked.

"Something other than sex," he reminded her. "This relationship should be better than us just screwing each other. In the end, we would just be disappointed that all we did was just fuck. Is that your wish, Buffy, to just fuck?"

"I suppose at the time it was," she said, looking at him with a slight frown, "you speak as if having sex was a bad thing."

"It's not," he said.

"Then why are you complaining?" she asked, moving her body closer to his.

"Buffy, are you listening to what I'm saying?" Xander shook his head. "If you and I really love each other, then we wouldn't just fuck every time. That's lust... and I am positive it is not lust that is conquering my emotions."

She turned to smile sheepishly at him. "Xander, calm down," she said, "let's just do it."

She didn't care, Xander thought. It was hard to imagine that she wouldn't. They'd been friends for too long not to care. He figured that since the two had been in the gutters of Rome for so long, her mind might have traveled there too.

"Buffy," he said as she rubbed her hands across his body, "promise me our relationship will be more than sex. Please..."

She laughed. "It already is."

"How?" He looked her over slowly from head to toe. "All we have been doing is sex. Tell me what makes it so special."

She removed her hands from his chest. She looked at him in the eyes. "What's your problem?"

Xander, feeling great displeasure, got off the bed without a word, and Buffy offered her arm to bring him back.

"Xander..."

Xander did not move. "Do I really matter to you?" he asked at last, staring intensely at Buffy.

Buffy frowned at him. "What?"

Xander felt increasingly uncomfortable. Although he admitted to her that he enjoyed the sex, he pictured their relationship coming to an abrupt end if it continued like this. He wanted Buffy forever, not just for months of sex.

"I believe you are using me as some kind of Riley or Spike... A rebound guy," he said. Unfortunately, he had blurted out something that he did not feel entirely confident about. He did not know how much it affected him. It could have been a small annoyance that shouldn't have been mentioned.

Buffy could not believe Xander thought that. She loved him, more than a friend. She held up one hand. "I am not using you Xander. I would never do that."

Xander chose not to reply.

Buffy got to her feet from the bed. "Xander... I promised that this relationship will be more than sex," she said. "We can make sure that it's not just about that."

Xander looked up at Buffy, who was gazing back at him. He said nothing and turned away, staring at the wall. He wondered if she was being honest or just trying to get him back in bed. Xander was about to tell Buffy what he planned on doing later that day, but Buffy spoke up first.

"We're fighting about something so little," she said. "So was the time I was angry that you tried to make everything perfect for me. We shouldn't be arguing about any of it."

Xander moved towards the door. He stopped outside it, his hand on the doorframe. He would have to find the courage to tell Buffy and get it off his chest.

He turned and faced the slayer. "Buffy... I have to tell you," he began. "It's not easy. Cimberius talked to me hours ago, and said that I should join the army. I chose that I would do so for the time being, until everything boils over."

Buffy flinched. This was an entirely shocking thing that she could not believe she was hearing. Now she remembered what Cimberius had said to Xander. What Cimberius said was living proof that he probably coerced Xander into making the decision to take revenge for the murders of Illeana and Acacia. Unfortunately, Buffy still could not find a reason why he would join the army.

"You're tired, Xander. You're just making irrational decisions."

Xander reached for her hand. "It may look irrational, I know. I wish to god that things would remain the way they are forever but that just won't happen."

Buffy didn't know the motives of Xander joining the army and she found it hard to explain. "Joining the army... well, Xander, it's dangerous. There is a chance you can die."

"Yes, but there is also a chance that I won't."

Buffy accepted his hand with obvious reluctance. She was frightened and stunned severely at the seriousness of his words. "I don't want you to go, Xander."

Xander tried to compromise with her. "You'll stay in good company with Cimberius' grandfather for the time being. I am certain he will take good care of you."

Buffy widened her eyes and let go of his hand. "I don't want to stay here by myself." She paced around the room, then glanced at Xander. "I'm the slayer for Christ's sake, I should be the one going into the army. Why are you doing this again, Xander? For revenge?"

"More to it than that," Xander said, before Buffy approached him closely, staring hard into his eyes. "That is not the only reason."

"What's the point? Once you are in the army, you cannot leave until you are discharged. Look at Cimberius for example... he's a deserter just for leaving the Praetorian Guard. What if I want you to leave the army, Xander! It will get us in more trouble!"

"Buffy, listen to me please."

"Oh, what's the point of talking with you! You already told me you're joining the army... why should I listen to anything else?"

Xander didn't have the strength for an extended arguement. "Come on, Buffy. It is not just revenge."

Buffy flashed him a surprised look. "Not revenge? What else would it be for? You can't kill the men with your own fighting skill, so you assume joining the army will suddenly make you a warrior, am I right?"

Xander settled his back against the wall beside the door, leaning his body frame into its hard surface. He sighed. "I'm doing it for your protection."

Buffy didn't answer. For the short period of silence, at least, she had become calm. She realized that his reason of protection was probably his main reason for joining the army. His efforts of helping and saving her life had finally caught up with her. She knew it was important now, more than ever, to show Xander that she loved and cared about him. "I'm sorry, Xander-"

Xander continued to speak in low tones. "Cimberius told me earlier this morning that the leader often uses scapegoats for current problems in the Guard. He seemed like he was telling the truth when he said that. And since we both are probably making headlines for escaping our execution, I firmly believe that this Praetorian Guard ringleader... Pulcher... will use us as the scapegoats. He will track us down mercilessly like he did with me before and kill us both."

Buffy was teary-eyed, because she knew that he was quite possibly risking his own life just to make her life better, and stay out of sight from the Praetorian Guard. All of the years of friendship and his kindness to her had numbed her with sorrow and regret. She knew she could never fully return the favors he's done to her. "You shouldn't go, Xander. We can avoid the Praetorian Guard and this 'Pulcher' guy."

"Buffy... If he found me at Cato's, then he can find me here."

"They want me too, you know. We both should go into the army." She moved a step closer. "I want to be with you, Xander. Not just for a little while, but for every hour of the day. Maybe I have been lacking sleep a lot, but I am awake enough to tell you the absolute truth."

"That is a good idea, Buffy. Just something you forgot to mention. We both escaped execution... and going into the army together, where the gossip mill runs the most, we will be hauled off to jail in no time."

"For god's sake Xander, this isn't the time to play hero again! I am not the damsel in distress! I don't want that role here! I want to help too!"

Xander caught Buffy's eye, something he'd tried not to do throughout her whole dialogue. She looked shaken and unnerved. For a moment they were bonded by their hopeless predicament. Xander loved being with Buffy just as much as she did with him. They had grown closer together with the help of a time portal in someone's bag at his apartment. Xander had rescued Buffy from the scaffold and hanging in Rome, even from being stabbed with a sword. Recently, he had planned on relaxing in the city with her and making love until the sun went down. Instead, he was now asked to join the army to fill the void of possibly getting both of them killed.

Xander stepped away from the wall, feeling more satisifed than he was earlier in the conversation. "You are helping... by staying."

"Actually, no I'm not Xander. I'm staying here by myself with a drunk, in hiding, wondering every minute about whether you will come back or not," she said.

"Buff, you remember when you told me in your kitchen a while back not to be involved with the apocalypse. You said that I would help basically by sitting on the sidelines..."

His memory confused her. "Yeah, so? What does that have to do with anything?"

She was caught perfectly into what Xander needed to tell her. If he pulled it off, the sudden agonizing worries of how she would accept his choice would disappear like a shadow. "I wanted to be by your side... at the end, like I told you that day..." He chuckled. "Well, you talked me out of it and I could have easily been stubborn and followed you to your grave but I didn't. I waited and thankfully you came out alive."

"You're not going to talk me out of it Xander. You're not leaving."

Xander loved her. That was not in doubt. In fact, she was the first woman he had ever loved. At sixteen he had been awed by her innocence in the hallways when she dropped her books. He had to make himself try to believe that it was not real. He was still with that beautfiul, blond girl.

He decided not to prolong their sorrow much longer, becuase he had already told her enough things to digest. He gazed at Buffy and walked through the open door frame quietly until she was out of sight.

She wondered if he was leaving to the army at that moment. She could picture him being stabbed in the chest with a sword on the battlefield. That was the first thing she envisioned. There were many other horrific things of death she foresaw if Xander joined the army.

"Xander!" she screamed.

"Yes?" he asked through the door.

"Where are you going?"

Xander couldn't seem to have the energy to go back into the room. He responded gently, not daring to even send signals of fright into Buffy. "I just need time to think about all this, that's all, Buff. I'll be back up here after a while."

Thankful, Buffy closed her eyes and moved backwards, inching closer in front of the bed. She pictured kissing Xander on the lips and the same way he touched her the night before when they had sex. She would have to rest for a while to ease down her worried heartbeat. Her face was drained from all the tears that ran down her cheeks. As Buffy rested her back onto the bed, she sprawled out her hands and legs, trying to yawn out all of the pain inside her.

He was protecting her again, but in a different manner. A way of leaving her out of harm's way ahead of time instead of during the crisis. She took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling while lying on her back on the bed. He reminded her of someone else who did the same kind of protection a long time ago. That person was Angel.

Awake at last, Willow lay on her side with her eyes opened wide and wondered if she would succumb to her drowsiness and sleep some more. Oddly enough, she had slept more frequently and longer since Buffy and Xander had disappeared. She wasn't sure why, but she thought it had to do with the relieved stress of having none of her close friends call her. She loved them both as friends, but without them, she felt a lot of weight off her shoulders. She had expected their disappearance to be the worst moment of her life. Instead, she found herself beside Brittany, during their absence, as the best moment of her life.

She had slept with other women, of course. But she wasn't so aroused by one girl, because often she had spent so much time with her lovers, such as Tara and Kennedy, that when they had sex, it did not produce the same thrill as it used to. Once she was in the arms of Brittany, she felt energy and confidence, from a young woman who chose Xander as her boyfriend. The way Brittany was in bed showed that she was very experienced, perhaps due to her relationship with Xander.

Willow smiled fondly at Brittany. She was the kind of woman like Anya, who would see things in her own little world, as it was. If she had her way, she would probably do whatever she thought was necessary for the state of California. Even if it meant demolishing cars to prevent air pollution.

While the two had made love on Willow's bed, Willow had stripped away Brittany's heavy, small silk bras and panties. Willow ran her hand up her exposed legs and stopped at her thighs. She found caressing Brittany's skin amusing, but she knew it would be most fulfilling when Brittany was awake.

Willow used her wandering hand to tap Brittany on the shoulder to wake her up. "Brittany... time to wake up."

Brittany's eyes fluttered open at the noises. The first thing she saw was Willow's cute face gazing down at her. She looked as if she was an angel sitting at the pearly gates. "I was having a good dream." Brittany curled her arm around Willow's waist and captured her into a hug. "How would you like to stay with me some more? ... So I can taste more of you..."

Willow couldn't blame her. Without the fact that Buffy and Xander had disappeared, she would have the same interest in making out with Brittany. She had felt the same way like Brittany had a while ago, but now, only because of Brittany earlier insisting that she pursue Buffy and Xander harder, she had to put business over pleasure.

"You know we have plenty of time to do all that, right? Many more times..."

Brittany glanced at her, hoping she was not avoiding sex, but she was. "I guess having sex twice the same night is not the best thing, huh?"

"It's at the top of my list of best things." She got to her feet, carrying her own blanket with her to cover her body. "The top thing however, is to check on Giles and see if we can break in."

"You'd rather do that than stay with me?"

"Buffy and Xander's lives are at stake," Willow said. "Would you rather fuck and bury any chance we have to save them or actually attempt at least?"

When Brittany nodded in agreement to what Willow was saying, Willow went to the bathroom. Willow figured that Brittany had chosen to do what she wanted and would expect her to be changed into her clothes by the time she came out of the shower.

"Willow!"

Willow heard the yell from behind and she turned to see Brittany. "Yeah, Brittany?"

"Can I get a quickie before you go to the shower?" she asked innocently.

From her own vantage point she could see Brittany's naked body was shivering with delight. Just the sight of her well-rounded breasts was sexually inviting enough for Willow to oblige. She could almost feel four of her senses trying to struggle to tell her not to give in. The image of Brittany however, single-handedly made her go towards Brittany. She stopped herself, but not at the right place. She was in front of the bed.

"It's called quickie for a reason," Willow reminded her.

Brittany smiled up at Willow. "By quickie... are we talking five minutes?"

Willow took Brittany's outstretched hand and gripped it tightly. "I'll settle for two minutes, give or take a couple extra."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Willow, with Brittany's hand, drew her against her for a kiss. It was the best answer she could give to Brittany.

Didius Julianus lit the candles in a small tent carefully, but the tips of his fingers were trembling slightly. It was attributed to his disbelief that he was the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. With his body hunched over, it caused his voice to be low as he spoke between lighting the candles.

"It sounds like bullshit all right- Niger would not openly attack the Empire. I mean... why?" He looked at Pulcher, "Well?"

Pulcher ran both hands through his brown hair. "I am just warning you Caesar that these overthrows never go as planned. Gaius Pescennius Niger, although loyal to Rome, has four Syrian legions. They have the capablity of wiping out our legions in a hurry since they are not all notified that there is a new Emperor. If he were to want power in the upcoming weeks, we would all be vulnerable. The empire would ultimately be in his hands."

The third man, Arpineius, standing inside the tent, frowned. He was honored to be invited to the Emperor's tent and proud that he would play an integral role in politics. However, he was not pleased to see Pulcher a part of the inner circle of the Emperor. Arpineius didn't feel arising a revolt against the former Emperor was worthy of a better position. If he were Didius, he would have had Pulcher's head on a pole.

"You listen to me, Pulcher. There is no way that the message can spread so quickly to Syria. It would take weeks for him to be aware that there is a new Emperor," Julianus said.

Pulcher's lips curved into a smile. "Don't be so sure, Caesar. The messengers we have here in Rome are quick. I would recommend you gathering whatever legions we have nearby for a speech, and announce to them that you are Emperor. For most of the legions, they are still attached to Pertinax. If you don't speak to them yourself..."

"I'll die... Right?" Julianus' cold eyes locked onto Pulcher's, and he grinned.

Pulcher grinned too, and as he always would at such serious times, he shrugged his shoulders, trying to stay calm. "If it was the Praetorian Guard, yes."

"So just for precautionary measures, I would have to assemble the legions together. And following that, show them who I am and make sure they like me. I don't want to do that." Didius Julianus' hands were folded tightly across his chest, and his eyes widened as each second passed. "What we've got here is some rotten politics on our hands and it makes me wonder how many more people I have to please in order to be comfortable. I didn't expect the Emperor position to be such a nuisance."

"The first couple days are," Pulcher said thoughtfully. His eyes fixed upon Arpineius. "Arpineius and I are used to seeing transfer of power." He glanced at Julianus. "After you're settled in, I promise you the stress will be on our shoulders, not yours."

Julianus blew out the fire on the bark of wood he was holding and nodded solemnly. He turned to Arpineius, "Do you remember what Pertinax had to do when he was Emperor?"

"I'd say he didn't have to do much," Arpineius replied. "Commodus was a hated Emperor. I think all of the soldiers would have been happy whoever was Emperor."

"Were you close to Commodus when he was Emperor?" Julianus asked.

Arpineius shook his head. "No."

Pulcher broke in impatiently, "I was."

Julianus turned and faced Pulcher. "You'll have to tell me how he fared in his first days as Emperor. Was he a nervous wreck like me?"

Pulcher rubbed his hands together for warmth and said plainly, "No. He wasn't. He was an arrogant man and was not a very realistic person. He felt above others. He didn't think he would die for whatever he did. Plus, in his first years, he had some powerful officials do most of the work for him."

Arpineius didn't wait for Julianus to respond. "He also was the first person to be Emperor based on heredity for 80 years."

"What the hell do I have to do to impress people? I'm a senator," Julianus grunted. He seated himself and watched Pulcher intently as he took a chair at the other side of the tent across from Pulcher.

"That is what I am trying to tell you, Caesar. The soldiers don't want a senator for an Emperor. Pertinax was fine because he was a soldier. You are not." He coughed violently and mumbled through the air, "All you have to do is get them together and offer them a speech. That alone, gives you respect for taking your time to be with the soldiers."

"What should I say?" Julianus asked.

Pulcher spoke quietly. "Whatever you say, it won't make a difference to them. It is what you offer them. Hell, you can say but four words to them, 'I'll give you money' and they'll be loyal to you like that. It is that simple."

"Of course, your offers have to be reasonable," Arpineius added, turning to the Emperor. "Pertinax made the mistake of going overboard with his promises and thought that the soldiers would just not care over time. He didn't follow through and look at him now."

"I see." Julianus nodded. He expelled his breath sharply. "So is there any actions I can do right now that can win over the people? Like executions or lowering the taxes?"

"Since you mentioned it, yes." Pulcher was quite matter-of-fact about it. "There's a couple that was supposed to be executed yesterday. They were let free because they were Pertinax's prisoners."

"What!" Julianus' exclamation was a shocked, loud, almost excited sound. His large head moved forward in his seat. "What'd you say?"

"A couple who was supposed to be executed was released," Pulcher said. "But I would wait until the city is completely aware of their release until you take action against them. That is, if you want to take action against them..."

Julianus gave Pulcher a relaxed smile. "Oh, I will."

Pulcher seemed to have difficulty expressing his words. "There is something- also that is of importance, perhaps you might-" He stopped.

"Might what?"

"A member of the Praetorian Guard left last night," Pulcher said, "he seemed devastated by the transfer of Emperors. He is a respectable man, but he was the only one to defect."

"He 'was' a respectable man. I tell you, people have some nerve," Julianus said angrily.

"Are you going to do something about it?" Arpineius asked.

Julianus shook his head unhappily. "No. I don't want to start persecuting people part of the Praetorian Guard. I remember what happened to Pertinax when he did it."

Pulcher leaned back in his chair. "Well, they planned to assassinate him. Cimberius could be doing the same thing."

"I guess I'm just one poor sucker aren't I?" Julianus rose from his chair and leaned his clenched fists against the table. "Forget about him. He is not important. I'd like to see him try to make a living now that he left the Guard." He shook his head slowly and ponderously. "This is a lot to take in, in one night."

Arpineius looked at Julianus thoughtfully and then at Pulcher who was staring off into space. He said, "Caesar... I think you need to get some sleep. It has been a long day."

Julianus seemed determined to ram his fists straight through the table. "I have to go see my wife and daughter first. They must be worried to death about me."

"Listen to me, Caesar," Arpineius said soothingly, placing an arm on his shoulder. "It'll all pass and you'll be living in luxury. We know how tough it is in the beginning."

"Arpineius," Pulcher said, slowly, "you got something on your nose."

Arpineius hesitated, then rubbed his nose. He then realized what Pulcher meant. "Fuck off, Pulcher."

"Can you send me an escort to take me to my home?" The Emperor asked Arpineius.

"Of course, Caesar," he retorted, softly. "Now relax, for Heaven's sake."

On direct orders from the Emperor, Arpineius left the tent. Like everything he always did, this was a duty and honor for him. Before the next month would pass, he knew nothing better to do than to be at the Emperor's service.

"You'll be fine, old man," Pulcher told Julianus.

"You think so?" Julianus was puzzled. "For some reason, I feel that I am in danger."

"Everyone in this empire is." He stood up, making a move to be closer to Julianus. "That is why it is the best empire."

Julianus frowned. "How does that make it the best?"

"Fear allows for obedience. Danger is the fabric that holds the Empire together. Without fear or danger in this Empire, the Empire would collapse."

Julianus was not won over so easily by Pulcher's words. He gazed stubbornly out the tent, at the soldiers talking and the horses beside them. He shook his head. "It shouldn't be like that. I don't like this feeling."

"Please, Caesar, relax." Pulcher encircled Julianus' neck with his arms and held onto him tightly. Then after a couple of moments, he moved away. "There are a lot of benefits to being Emperor, trust me."

"Even with them," Julianus insisted. "It wouldn't make me any happier."

"Commodus had a brothel of over 300 women..." Pulcher noted.

"All right," Didius Julianus sighed, standing up straight. "Come to my home later in the afternoon when you think it is the best time to speak to the soldiers. But make sure it is not too soon."

"Yes, Caesar," Pulcher said gently.

It was quite a while before Julianus shook himself together. "I'll see you later, Pulcher. Have a good morning."

"Goodbye, Caesar."

Once outside of the tent, Julianus lashed out angrily, "Where the hell is Arpineius? I want to sleep!"

Pulcher stood watching from inside the tent, with carefully concealed impatience, for he wanted the Emperor to get all of the protocol out of the way. He wanted to focus primarily on finding the people who escaped execution. Pulcher felt that it would be the best action to go for as a new Emperor and it would certainly make Julianus popular and make his own position higher because of the success, perhaps as chamberlain. By staying loyal to the Emperor, he knew that he could quite possibly make himself a candidate for heir apparent to the throne. All he needed was time.

"Well," Cimberius muttered. "By the look of your face, I don't think she took it that well."

"No one would," Xander said, managing a weak chuckle while his legs went numb.

He looked around frantically for a place to sit in the living room and, in a panic, he sat on the rug. He searched the room with his eyes and could not find anywhere to sit except where both Cimberius and Paulus were sitting. He'd come down to relax from where he had told Buffy, only to be sitting on the hard marble floor with a slim rug above it.

Paulus stood from his chair, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his toga. The stress of what he done the day before weighed heavy on him.

"You can sit in my chair, Xander."

Xander nodded nervously, unsure if the man was still drunk, but willing to do what he offered.

"Thank you," he muttered.

"I'm going back to my room now," Paulus said, then pointed his finger at Cimberius' direction. "You better pray he doesn't get hurt today at training. That girl looks like a fighter and she'll probably take it out on me if he does."

Without waiting for his grandson to answer, he turned and exited the room. His feet hit the ground hard, echoing through the chambers.

Taken aback by his grandfather's stern words, Cimberius didn't quite know what to say to Xander.

Xander sat on the unoccupied wooden chair with a goofy smile on his face and looked up.

"I don't know if he's crazier when he's drunk or when he's sober," Xander said. "But the good thing is, that he didn't rub anything off on you."

"You'd be surprised," Cimberius said. "His craziness actually comes in handy for war."

Xander stared at him for a moment and then burst out laughing. It was the last thing Cimberius expected him to do.

"What?" Cimberius muttered.

Xander was still chuckling when he said, "Your grandfather hasn't been with a woman in a while, has he?"

He shrugged. "I don't care. I haven't really cared about what he's done with the exception of drinking for many years."

"Well, look," Xander said. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to be so unkind to you. I respect what you told me."

Cimberius grinned and pointed towards the window. "It is going to be freezing. I will make sure you get something warm to wear when you do training."

Xander looked briefly startled, then laughed as he turned his head to the window. He could see the cold air blowing past the trees.

For Xander, being reminded of going out to train at that moment was unbearable. He was once excited about training but the fact that it would be cold struck him hard. He knew he could get sick from the weather and he wondered if he might be in store for a deadly consequence because a possible illness. He caught himself from being too involved with his critical views as he leaned forward to get a better look out of the window.

Cimberius eyed him curiously. "Somehow I pictured you as being a fool. A skinny fool."

He looked at Cimberius with dismay. "Why would you picture that?"

"Pulcher described you as one. He said he saw you run away with the girl from the scaffold. He even chased after you."

Xander shuddered, then took a deep breath and looked out the window. "Who was this guy?" he thought to himself. Then the thought whipped up to him like smoke from a chimney. He turned to Cimberius in a start, his heart pounding, and his eyes wide with fright. It took him a few moments to say anything because he was so shocked.

"You know who Pulcher is now?" Cimberius asked.

Xander stood and paced around the room. "Yes. I remember him now. He was the guy with the sword that thought me and Buffy were corpse thieves."

Cimberius sighed. "I knew Pulcher had a sick mind. Well, that's who you should take revenge on... You think you can take him?"

"Yeah," Xander said anxiously, then turning to the door. "I want to get my revenge right now."

When Cimberius saw Xander head for the door, he started to grin. "Looks can be deceiving my friend. He is very strong."

"He looked like a fat, out of shape man," Xander said, as he started to push open the door.

"Jesus Christ," Cimberius muttered, feeling the cold air rush into the house. "You don't even know where to find him."

Xander frowned. "I was expecting you to follow my lead and lead me to him."

"How you figure that?"

"You know... you're like my mentor now."

"Obviously you don't know me too well," Cimberius said. "Come back inside."

Xander's frown deepened at Cimberius and then he closed the door, as he walked back to where he was sitting.

Cimberius shook his head as he watched Xander take a seat across from him. He liked Xander. He was a cocky and happy go lucky guy. But he had to admit, when he was acting all macho, he didn't like Xander all that much. It was hard to like someone who resembled Pulcher's stubborness and tall, good-looking traits. The only thing Xander lacked was a big belly like Pulcher.

They both grinned at each other once they were both seated. It was time to discuss what they were going to do later in the day.

"Ah... you're training with me also, right?" Xander inquired.

"Unfortunately," he murmured, as he pushed his hands underneath his armor, trying to warm them. "I have no job anymore so I have to support myself."

"You live by yourself?"

"Now I do." He slipped his hands out from under his armor. "I used to live with the Praetorian Guard. It was really a good life come to think of it. Before that, I was a soldier stationed at different countries around the world. The only warfare I was involved with was the victories of the Sarmatians in 183. I was in the frontlines."

Xander leaned forward. "What about your family? Is your grandfather you're only relative alive, today?"

There was a brief moment of silence, as if Xander had offended Cimberius immensely. Then Cimberius spoke again.

"I only had my father," he said, then he reached for his eyes, wanting to feel if they were wet, like they always would when he recollected about his family. His eyes were indeed wet with tears.

Xander's interest subsided upon seeing Cimberius' emotion. Xander stared at Cimberius, understanding how he felt and not liking what he saw. Cimberius was torn too much because of his childhood for his own good, and from the way he rubbed his eyes, Xander knew.

"I'm sure you're dad would be proud of what you've done in your life," Xander said kindly.

Cimberius grabbed his armor from his chest, and tore it off him, thrusting it onto the floor as he leaned back against his chair. "War is nothing to be proud of. Killing people, no matter how evil they are, does not bring you gratification for what you've done."

"But you serve your country-" Xander pointed out.

Cimberius glanced at Xander. "The Empire," he reminded Xander. "It has too many people serving the damn Empire anyway. Most of the Sarmatians weren't even wanting a war. We invaded them just to add a military trophy to Commodus' reign. He wanted to be like his father so we butchered them just for enhancing his reputation."

Xander shuddered in disbelief, unable to belief the coincidence the time period had with his own. "Reminds me of our leader. His father also had a military triumph and the son invaded a country just to have the same, if not better military glory than his father."

Cimberius frowned. "What country are you from?"

Xander wanted to discuss who he really was and where he really was from, the United States, so much but he relented. It took him a few moments to go back to his original story of what he told Cato and his family. "England."

Cimberius' eyes widened. "England? They are under our rule. Do you mean their governor?"

Xander hesitated. "Yeah."

"That's funny," Cimberius said. "I didn't know England invaded other countries."

"Well, anyways, do you have anything to eat?" Xander asked, trying to change the subject as soon as possible.

"I'm sure I can cook something before we go," he said and he started to rise.

"No fish," Xander said quickly, standing up.

Cimberius frowned slightly at him as he began leaving the living room. Then he looked into the kitchen, taking note that Paulus was in there, already placing vegetables on a plate.

"Wow, Paulus, you're a good host after all," Cimberius said.

Xander smiled to himself. He felt safe with the company of Cimberius and his grandfather. He used to have skeptism towards the idea but now he was happy Buffy would be with Paulus. Not being with her for a while would be hard, but getting both of them captured by the Praetorian Guard would have been harder. She was the only girl that called him Xand, and he was going to miss hearing that. Everyone would call him Xander, but in his heart, he would always be Xand.


	12. Easier to Run

The palace was dark against the sky as Pulcher headed up Palatine Hill. The evening was cold already, the last of the winter having a last gasp before whispering away into the wind for possibly another year.

When he walked between two huge buildings, Pulcher saw his friend Arpineius leaned up close to a side of the building, his body shivering because of the cold. Arpineius was leaning against the wall, wearing his black armor, and the Praetorian helmet on his head, pulled down to cover his ears from the cold. The wool on the back of the helmet moved rhythmically with the wind. He moved out from the wall, approached Pulcher, and grinned.

"Thanks for showing up," Arpineius said. He was wearing dark gloves, and his face looked red and was flushing with cold.

"Always a pleasure. What do you want, Arpineius?"

Arpineius shook his head and visible water vapor escaped his lips. "You know, Pulcher... We're hard-working men... people that had to work all their lives to be in this position... Here... at Palatine Hill of all places..."

"I didn't come here for a lecture, Arpineius."

Pulcher's voice was high-pitched and anxious. He arched his eyebrow to confirm his impatience at Arpineius.

Arpineius shifted his head to the right. He let his eyes fall to the Imperial Palace, wondering if by some miracle, Didius Julianus, was behind them. But all he could see was flags being blown by the heavy wind from the top of the posts of the palace. He tried to focus his vision back onto Pulcher, but the cold caused him to squint his eyes, barely seeing his friend.

"I'm a busy man now, don't forget," Pulcher said loudly. "The messenger who called me here told me you had urgent news. Warmth seems more urgent to me at the moment."

Arpineius tried to tell the details of what was bothering him, but they seemed distant because of the heavy wind blowing into his face. "Why, Pulcher?"

"What?"

"I'd like to put this as straightforward as possible without bullshitting you like a Roman politican would," he said. His voice trembled.

"Mind if we go inside a building?"

"Yes. Let me get this off my chest now."

Pulcher studied his friend. He imagined Arpineius giving him another pep talk like he did before his men raided the Roman families' household. He wondered what Arpineius would do if he told him that he didn't give a rat's ass what he told him.

"What you said in the tent today... It was very disloyal to the Praetorian Guard and our Empire... You and I both know that you want to be Emperor and you'll do anything to obtain it, even if you backstab your own soldiers if you have to do it."

"What are you talking about, Arpineius?" He laughed. "You must've spent too much time out in the cold."

Arpineius looked at him. "I know you have hatred towards Cimberius. But why bring it up to the Emperor? You know this is a Praetorian Guard matter, not something that should be discussed with the Emperor!"

"I know," Pulcher said. His throat went thick. "He betrayed our guard."

"We just killed an Emperor! Sorry, it must have been too easy for him to handle... especially since it was his first year in the Guard!"

"He is an experienced soldier. No excuse for him walking out."

Arpinieus looked hard at Pulcher. "What did you do to him? I know you made him leave... but what did you do?" He saw Pulcher lower his head. "Why...? I thought you and him were on good terms now..."

Pulcher exhaled, shaking his head. "I told him the Praetorian Guard wasn't the best place for him... and I was right. I didn't expect him to take my advice."

"What makes you right, Pulcher? What you did to Pertinax and his family shall not be forgiven..."

Pulcher took a few steps backwards. "Oooh," Pulcher crooned. "This is starting to become a heated confrontation. Keep going, Arpineius."

"I know I was in the plot just as much as you were," Arpineius admitted. "But it was you who led the men. I even wanted to delay the assassination but you were too stubborn and hungry to kill him. By any chance, Pulcher, are you satisifed now? We have an Emperor who's actually listening to you now..."

"I can have your head on a pole," Pulcher said.

"Just like Fufius. I heard your conversation from outside the temple... You're lucky I didn't get you tried before a tribunal you asshole." Arpineius leaned up close. "You changed, my friend. What ever happened to the old Pulcher?"

Pulcher said nothing.

"You've been here since Commodus became Emperor. You've lived through hell, aye, we can agree on that," Arpineius said. "Commodus never laid a hand on you because you were loyal. That's how you survived all those years. Where is that Arpineius?"

"People change."

"You should be in the army. You're incompetent for this job here..."

Pulcher squinted in the sunlight of the courtyard, looking up at the cold white sky. The courtyard was a fifty feet square, with two buildings on their sides, and a wooden-link fence surrounding them. It was still empty, with only a watchguard on the other side of the Imperial Palace looking at him as he stood pondering.

Pulcher started to walk away, and Arpineius followed him.

"I'm sorry if I offended you," Arpineius said. "Pulcher."

Pulcher didn't look at him. "Don't embarass me, Arpineius. Remember, I am closer to the Emperor than you are."

"What's that supposed to mean? You'll betray me too like you did with Cimberius?"

Pulcher headed down the steps, bound for the entrance gates. "I am working for myself here. If I can better my position while killing off others, I will."

"True," Arpineius said. "But what makes you think I won't get to the Emperor first? He is in the Imperial Palace... and I am closer."

Pulcher said nothing, not taking his friend seriously. He heard running footsteps behind him and he turned. He saw Arpineius dashing to the Imperial Palace.

"All right, Arpineius! Let's not all rush to betray one another!" Pulcher chuckled.

A few minutes later, Arpineius came back to the top of the steps, coughing out air.

"And I'm the one people are saying is out of shape," Pulcher said.

"I don't want to involve myself in these childish games."

Pulcher walked up the stairs and came to the top stair. They sat down on the steps.

"What I want to know," Pulcher said, "is why you care so much about Cimberius?"

"Yeah," Arpineius said. "We get only a handful of new recruits into the Praetorian Guard each year. He deserved to be in the Guard and it was his choice to enlist. It is his choice to leave."

Pulcher smiled. "We are a family, the Praetorian Guard. We argue and fight all the time. But when we are in serious, dangerous times, we manage to stick together. With Cimberius leaving like he did, it breaks this foundation we've had for so long. By letting him go without punishment, we set a precedent that any soldier, who's dissatisfied, can leave whenever he wants."

"This was a special circumstance. The Emperor does not get slain every year."

"That can change also. Who said Emperor's can rule until they die of old age?"

Arpineius frowned. "We are sick people. We really are. There are millions of Romans who cherish the Emperor and worship him like a god. They send him offerings, food, gifts, even sacrifices... and here we are, the underpaid bodyguard, killing off every Emperor that does not please us."

Pulcher looked down at the steps, reflecting. "You paint this the wrong color my friend. We are better people than that."

"Then we will be better people," Arpinieus said quietly. "Let Cimberius off the hook."

"Absolutely not," Pulcher said.

"Who made you Jupiter? You are a man... not a god."

"Someday I may be a god."

Arpineius continued to stare at Pulcher. "Oh, wouldn't that be nice? Yeah. Maybe being Emperor wouldn't be so bad. Maybe you can worry about what the Praetorian Guard is plotting every day and there could be another one of you leading them to an assassination."

Pulcher sighed. "Being the Emperor has its disadvantages."

"Because of us," Arpineius said.

Pulcher threw up his hands and stood up. "All right! I'll let him be! What else do you want from me? You want me to spare the lovers as well?"

Arpineius didn't reply.

Pulcher gave him a doubtful squint, shaking his head. "Why do I make friends with people who rely more on their conscience than their duty?"

"I do my fucking duty when I can. I ordered the killing for the girl for you. And you owe me."

"I owe you?"

"In killing an innocent girl, yes."

Pulcher eyed him with suspicion. "Now, I already repaid you with sparing Cimberius... but the lovers?"

The cold wind nudged Arpineius under a more consuming dark sky. It looked like it was about to rain. "Is it really necessary now? It was perhaps when Pertinax was Emperor, but now they are harmless."

Pulcher waited for his friend to continue and disapprove what he said, but when he realized he wasn't, he sighed. "A few days ago, you were begging to delay the assassination to execute the lovers. And you're the one saying that it is not wise to change... Where is that Arpineius, huh? The one who wanted to kill them?"

Arpineius cleared his throat. "Disloyalty is a more serious matter."

"That doesn't really matter," Pulcher said. "The point is, you changed and so did I."

"There are better things to worry about," Arpineius said. "You even acknowledged a civil war is brewing... why detach our men to find them?"

Pulcher's dark eyes looked at Arpineius. "This is my personal mission. It was my fault they got away... they should've never gotten away."

"What was the girl's crime, again? Witchcraft? Is that a criminal...?"

"She was going to be hanged, wasn't she?"

Arpineius could see a gleam in his friend's eyes. He was not going to make him change his mind about the lovers, he was certain. He slowly eased away, standing up from the stairs.

Pulcher didn't move. He saw that his friend's face had turned pale. He heard tapping sounds on the marble and saw puddles underneath his feet. He looked up at the sky. It had been drizzling for a couple seconds and he hadn't even noticed.

Arpineius pointed at Pulcher. "You leave me out of it, you understand?"

Pulcher grinned. "Are you sure?"

"Fuck you." Arpineius turned and walked towards the Imperial Palace.

Pulcher stepped back and scanned the buildings he stood between. He marveled at the intricate designs of the pillars and statues. His gaze wandered in a complete circle as the rain started to speed up on his face. His gaze haulted when he saw Arpineius walking casually, now a far distance away.

Arpineius was starting to intrigue him. "Disloyalty... huh?" he mumbled to himself. "You're disloyal to me, my friend."

He went down the stairs and to the gates. The gates swung open, and a guard came into the gates, bumping into Pulcher as Pulcher descended the steps.

"Hey Pulcher," the guard said.

"It's about to rain, my friend. Go to the nearest shelter as soon as you can," he said. He patted the guard quickly, then moved out of the gates. He could barely hear himself over the roar of thunder above.

"Cato, why don't you tell me what is wrong with you right now?" Cornelius urged his distraught friend. "Let's drink and talk. It will be just like the old days."

Cato had been at the tavern for at least an hour, drinking beer and relaxing. Cornelius' approach to his friend was just what he expected to do after watching him from the corner of bar. He had to make him talk to get off what was on Cato's chest. Cato even knew he had to. But for some reason, Cato could not find a way to do it.

Cornelius hated to see his friend's anguish and despair. However, he was starting to lose his patience with trying to help his friend. He had paid a visit to his house earlier in the day and all he saw was burned fragments. No matter how hard he tried to get Cato to tell him the obvious truth, Cato didn't say anything. While Cornelius hoped this would be the right time for Cato to spill the beans, he still sensed the same insecurity he saw the last time Cato came up to him. Maybe it wasn't the best time.

Cato gulped down the last part of his drink. "Thanks, Cornelius. But I have already drank enough for one night. I'm just going to go back to the inn I was staying at and sleep."

"Inn...? What happened? You lost your home?" Cornelius asked.

"Okay, Cornelius. I'll see you around." Cato was about to get off his chair and leave.

"Hey, Cato. The burning smoke rising above the woods... That was your house..." Cornelius said.

"The burning smoke from the woods? What are you talking about my friend? You are crazy..." Cato's voice trailed off as he tried to pull himself to his feet from the table he was sitting at.

"Yeah, that was yours. That's what you wanted to tell me... Your house was burned down. And your family..."

"Family... what family?" Cato responded.

Cornelius looked surprised as he looked at his drunken friend, staggering with his cup in his hands.

"What did you do to yourself?" Cornelius asked, shaking his head.

"I'm just living life!" Cato said with energy as he headed toward the exit.

"Let me take you to my place, my friend," Cornelius said, ignoring his vegetated state. Normally he would have been disgusted by it. It would have been easy to judge Cato, but he was a heavy drinker himself. Cato was going to tell him days before what was bothering him, but he was turned off by his drinking. He was determined not to make the same mistake Cato did.

"Oh, you're so kind, Cornelius. Poor Cornelius... you're so desperate you have to ask a drunken guy instead of a drunken girl over to your place."

"Stop it, Cato."

Cato was enjoying the moment of intoxication. Enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention.

"What are you going to do, Cato? Live at the inn until you run out of money and get kicked out? You need money... and a job. You need to get your act together before you end up dead."

"I pity you." Cato turned to walk away.

"Cato, do you know how I knew it was your house that burned down and your family was killed?" Cornelius called after him.

"I know what you're going to say. It's because I asked you about what happened to my home, right?" he asked plainly.

Cornelius shook his head and chuckled. "No, it's because I went to your home earlier today. There was nothing except ashes."

Cato stopped and turned towards his friend. "What are you talking about?" he snapped.

Cornelius smiled. He had somehow managed to get Cato's senses back. "I know you hated what happened. Hated that you were the one that survived out of your family. But I am here, friend..."

Cato pressed his friend with a question. "How do you know?"

Cornelius studied his friend and wasn't certain if he was still drunk or not. "I can see it in you, Cato. You're a good man. You might have some flaws, but all humans do. Don't hate yourself just for being alive."

Cato looked at his friend skeptically.

"Really, Cato," Cornelius insisted. "I've known you for a few years now. I'm your best friend and I would know..."

Cato tried to recall his memories of meeting his friend. "You were at this tavern... I slipped in here and bought myself a couple of drinks... This was the first time I had been here. Someone started to pick a fight with me. Maybe he was drunk or something, but he told me that 'I didn't belong here'-"

Cornelius nodded. "Yeah, and you tried to avoid a confrontation by saying you were lost." Cornelius thought for a moment. "Then I came in, sensing a fight... I initially was on the man's side, since you were new to the tavern and all, but the first thing I felt when I got between you was a fist in my jaw."

"You got hit when it should've been me!"

Cornelius laughed. "Oddly the punch didn't really hurt. I had so much adrenaline at that moment, it was nothing. But I wondered why the fuck would that guy hit me?"

"He was drunk..."

"Yeah, but even when you're drunk, you have some sense of right or wrong..."

"Then you yelled at the guy and I tried to sneak out," Cato continued, a smile forming on his face. "Before I knew it, the guys in the tavern were leading me back to the scuffle, expecting me to fight. And expecting you to fight me."

"I was too angry to realize why I was hit." Cornelius laughed again. "Besides, you were new to the tavern- I have some friends that worked there. I wanted them to get some more customers, and by hitting a first-time customer, what would that tell newcomers?"

Cato shrugged and looked over Cornelius' shoulder, his eyes scanning the area where the fight once took place. "There it was. At that table."

Cornelius caught sight of the table as he turned, standing beside his friend. "There wasn't a table after the fight."

"I know," Cato said. "Who won the fight again?"

Cornelius laughed quite suddenly. "Does it really matter? We had a few beers after the fight that is for certain."

"You're certain? We had more than two beers my friend. In any case, that is not important."

Cornelius' eyes gleamed with hope. "Will you come to my house, then?"

"Wait," Cato spat out viciously.

At this point, Cornelius was going to make his friend come to his house whether he liked it or not. "Get out of your drunken state, Cato," he cried, "you know it is important to stay with your friend."

"Well, Cornelius," Cato said, with heavy sarcasm, "as long as I get a couple more beers, then I can stay with you as long as you want."

Cornelius felt satisfied. Let his friend drink some more. It would be harmless, and enough to finally take him to a safe place where he can find out more.

Despite the freezing March wind, Brittany, with her hand at her hips, stood with her fur jacket zipped up to her neck outside Giles' apartment building. It was a sunny, chilly winter afternoon and she looked inside the windows of the building, shuddering at the realization that Giles had brought a bag with a time portal to Buffy's house. She didn't get why he would not tell her that it was his fault.

Brittany was positive that Giles had not meant to purposely send anyone but himself into the time portal. While he might have left the bag at Buffy's house by mistake, the carelessness of leaving such an important bag at Buffy's place showed signs of foul play on his part. "How could he leave such a dangerous thing in his bag at Buffy's?" Brittany wondered.

Brittany walked the last steps of the path across the grass to the front doors of the apartment building. A couple of feet behind her was Willow, who was alertly watching the apartment that Giles stayed in. No lights were on and all of the curtains were opened. Something like this made it seem that he was not home, but Willow was not so easily deceived. Giles' gray stationwagon still sat out on the side of the road. Based on the recent visit she had with Giles a while back, she knew he had two cars. She also knew he did not use his stationwagon much and his main car might be sitting in the parking lot inside the apartment garage across the street.

Brittany entered the lobby of the apartment complex. Willow followed her and took a seat in a white sofa at the corner of the wall.

"I know your anxious to go into his apartment and check things out. But I'm not sure he's not home, so we need to wait, Brittany."

Brittany nodded. "I will try to."

"Did you have any idea before I told you what happened at Buffy's house that it was Giles' bag?"

"No, I didn't."

"Not even a thought?"

"I was stubborn. I think the main reason was that I believed it was you... and I focused everything I could to make sure I was right."

"I can see why you would think it was me." Willow nodded. "But in all my years with witchcraft, I have never tried making people go into different realities."

"But you said that you were born for the job..."

Willow stared down at her shivering hands clung to her lap. "I was born for performing rituals like that. But I've never really had someone to try it on... for good reason."

"So we've assumed they're not dead and are in some reality..."

"Well," Willow began softly, looking into Brittany's gentle green eyes. "I know Giles would not bring something to kill people in his bag to Buffy's."

"Oh, Dawn! Shouldn't we tell her about what happened to Buffy?" Brittany asked.

"No... not until we know where they went. Dawn will assume she's dead."

"Where is she at again?"

"Sunnydale University. That's where Buffy and I went."

Brittany bit on her nails. "Didn't Xander go with you to college?"

"No. That was in high school."

"Did you find out in high school... you know?"

Willow was evidently uncomfortable as she tried to explain to Brittany. "I never would have thought I'd be a lesbian. At first, I was ashamed to come out as one, but my love for Tara was something I couldn't hide anymore."

Brittany nodded.

"Oh... Tara," Brittany said sadly.

Willow sensed her hesitation. "Xander told you, huh? He was in the middle of the gunfire, when Buffy and Tara got shot."

Brittany stared at Willow, her expression grim. "I'm sorry about what happened," she said. "The bullet was not meant for Tara. It should've never happened."

"No way it should have," Willow agreed. "I used to be very religious before it happened, but when it occurred, I knew if there was a god... why would he allow such a nice person to be killed in such a sick way? Tara and I were happy together when it happened and if there was a person who deserved to die out of us two, it would be me." She thought for a moment. "Tara was innocent... everything about her was innocent."

"I heard you resurrected Buffy... how come you couldn't-"

"I don't want to discuss it." Willow looked warily at her. "I don't believe it makes much a difference now. Buffy and Xander are gone, and we need to find them."

"I'm sorry if I pushed too hard," Brittany said.

"You don't have to apologize, Brittany," Willow told her. "I'm actually glad I got to let out my emotions. Because losing Buffy and Xander felt like losing Tara all over again. Just without the vengeance part attached to it."

"I wouldn't mind you using your vengeance on Giles," Brittany said, her voice cold and harsh.

Willow frowned. "No. He didn't purposely leave that bag there... I know him better than that."

"What?" Brittany stared incredulously at Willow. "How can he leave a bag that causes people to vanish in thin air at Buffy's?"

Brittany was stubborn again, Willow realized. She was stubborn. And she spoke with all the confidence of a school teacher disciplining her students. She was not asking, but telling her what she believed.

There was someone coming down the stairs to the lobby and Willow could hear the footsteps. For a moment, Willow was afraid she would dart out of the lobby through the door, feeling it might be Giles. "Someone's coming," Willow said, nodding in the direction of the sound of feet coming down the steps. "We should hide." Willow wondered, with butterflies in her stomach, that it might be Giles.

Brittany remained frozen in the center of the lobby. She was not her usual upbeat self.

"What are you doing, Brittany!" Willow asked, her voice low enough for only Brittany to hear.

"If we run and it's Giles, he'll know something is wrong," Brittany said. "I don't know who it is, but there's a possibility that it's not Giles."

"Who else would it be? Only a handful of people live in this apartment building!"

"We'll find out," Brittany said.

Willow got from the couch without warning and hurried out of view from the stairs.

The man coming down the stairs was on the top steps, standing across from Willow, facing Brittany. He was clad in a gray uniform and wore heavy black boots. The most important of his features however was a mop and bucket of water that he carried. Willow came out from her hiding place and peeked around the corner. She saw that it was not Giles.

"Who are you?" Willow asked him, walking into view. She figured it was a janitor but she wanted to make sure.

The man tilted his head in Willow's direction, his hands rubbing the top end of his wet mop. "I should be asking you girls the same question," he said. "It's awfully rude to approach me like that." He spoke in a soft voice, not angry but one of agitation and force that most people would expect from a frustrated low-paid worker. His words made Willow and Brittany regret how they have acted.

Brittany swallowed hard. She was still at the edge of the steps, blocking the janitor's way. "I'm sorry... we were expecting someone else..."

"I'm sure I'm not who you wanted to see," he said harshly, raising his mop high in the air and looking incredibly upset. For a second, Brittany thought he might use the mop as a weapon. "Now if you may... please move aside young girl... I have to put these items back in the closet."

"Yes, of course," Brittany said, crossing to the middle of the lobby, letting the man descend the stairs.

Brittany and Willow stood in regrettable silence until the janitor passed them, walking in the direction of a utility closet. The janitor opened the closet and placed, more like threw, the mop and bucket of water into the dark room. He appeared to still be angered by what Willow had asked.

"Geez man, get a grip," Brittany thought. She couldn't stand the silence any longer. "Do you know if a man of about fifty with glasses left the apartment?" she asked when the janitor slammed the utility closet shut.

"You have some nerve," the janitor said, "I have been working here all day. I have no family. All I have is this job and a rundown trailer with my grandparents. If you think I am as important as giving you information, then you'd be wrong. I'm not important for anything."

Brittany blushed. "You assume too much," she said. "You think we look down on you because you're a janitor? That's not it..."

"Oh I do!" He still had a fiery look on his eyes.

"Look, my boyfriend has had more crappier jobs okay? I still love him," Brittany continued. "In fact, I actually like guys who are not so well off. It kind of plays against the stereotype that girls go after guys with money and cars."

The janitor's eyes widened. "You are just making that up, girl," he said. "You must surely want to know if the man you're looking for has left."

"She's right," Willow said, trying hard to calm her boiling temper, "that her boyfriend has had crappier jobs. He's been a pizza delivery man, construction worker..."

"Ice cream vendor," Brittany added as she removed her coat from her body and into her hands.

The janitor looked bored from their antics. "Spare me the bullshit, girls," he said. "You best thank me for telling you that the man you are looking for... the British gentleman, with glasses, left twenty minutes ago..."

Both Brittany and Willow's eyes widened with shock as the janitor walked past them, but before any of them could thank the man, the janitor exited the apartment complex, banging the door behind him, which sent shockwaves into their bodies. Brittany gave Willow a goofy look and looked as if she were a little girl playing with dolls again.

"Can you believe that?" Brittany waited for Willow's answer and then continued, "He didn't believe us. We were telling the truth."

Willow breathed to respond and then discovered there was really nothing much to say. It was funny, yet ironic, that a reference to Xander had given them the chance to find information about his and Buffy's disappearance. If they did not know Giles wasn't home, they would have been waiting in the lobby for hours. The additional factor that the janitor did not believe the girls made it more hilarious.

"So what are we waiting for?" Brittany asked. "Let's go up to the room."

"Hopefully he won't come back anytime soon," Willow said. "He usually doesn't stay away from his apartment for long."

"I can believe that," Brittany said, "he seems like the 'guy who stays at home all-day' type."

"He is. So let's make the most of him being gone." Willow manuevered her way past Brittany, went to the stairway, and started walking up the steps. She stopped to turn to Brittany, who was standing still. "You coming?"

Brittany looked slowly up at Willow until their eyes met. "I'll be right behind you, Will."

"Good. Let's go." She moved up the steps again.

Willow waited for what seemed like forever for Brittany to arrive at Giles' front door. Once Brittany would come, she would have to quickly perform a witch chant to be able to sneak into Giles' apartment. Willow had to make sure no signs of their entry would be found. She didn't have time to prepare when Brittany rushed in behind her.

Willow could feel she was exhausted as she moved back into Brittany.

"Wow, Willow. You look real tired..." Brittany said soothingly. "Why are you backing up?"

Willow pulled Brittany aside to a spot where she would have enough space to do the chant.

Then without hesitation, Willow began, "Oh Great goddess, mother of mercy and healing... send the energies of Quan Yin... to bless the healing with peace... send your healing wisdom to the body... to restore its sacred balance..."

Brittany laughed out loud. "Nicely spoken, Willow. Can I ask you... what the hell are you doing!"

"- my blood, my bones, my cells, and my body... are all healing now- the Goddess force is in me," Willow continued. "Deep in my bone, the goddess is alive."

Brittany glanced around the vineyard outside Giles' apartment, hoping that no one would see the bizzare spectacle. She didn't want what Willow was doing to be on Ripley's Believe it or Not. "I hope nobody sees this..." Brittany said softly to herself.

Willow wasn't sure if she was saying the chant perfectly, but she understood she was doing a good job. She guessed that the chant had a high probability it would work on the first try.

"Earth is my body, water is my blood, air is my breath, and fire is my spirit!" Willow screamed.

"What? Are you native american all of a sudden?" Brittany glanced at her watch. She sighed. "How long does this witch chant take?"

Willow froze in her tracks and turned back to the front door.

"Okay," Brittany said disapprovingly. "That was a big help."

Returning closer to the door, Brittany watched in horror as Willow's pale skin turned into a golden brown color. A spark of light and a heavy wind followed. She could feel the waves of heat coming off from Willow's body. Then in a sudden, Willow's body frame melted like hot pancakes and Brittany watched her ooze to the ground, a small batch of what looked like syrup all that remained.

Brittany's first reaction was one of panic, and it showed in her facial expression.

"Willow!" she cried.

Brittany's mouth hung open as she stared back to the door, behind her, and her looks immediately turned to shock but then quickly to concern. Witches could not always be successful with their spells, and although Brittany assumed that much was true, she figured Willow was a good enough witch to not put herself in danger. Still, where Willow was what concerned Brittany the most.

Brittany dragged in a shaky breath and leaned back against a wall. "I wish I knew where you were, Willow."

She heard the front door unlock.

Brittany's head snapped up. She hadn't considered the idea that Willow was invisible and she could go through the wall and open the door. How could she consider such an idea like that? Her spirits now somewhat revived, Brittany went to the front door and waited there until she had composed herself to open it.

Longing to see Willow, she turned the doorknob around her hand. She pulled the door open.

She saw Willow standing in front of her. Brittany wanted to shout with joy, jump and yell in happiness. Instead she kept her emotions in check. "Willow... you scared me for a second."

Willow smiled, unable to hide the pleasure the chant brought her. "I need to try that again, sometime. It felt good to walk through walls."

"You did great, Willow." Brittany wanted to give Willow a kiss on the lips but did not dare. She was still shaken by what Willow had done.

Willow moved aside, turned and smiled at Brittany as she walked into the apartment. "Did you like the part where I melted?"

Brittany scowled. "No. Not at all."

"Shall we search for any incriminating evidence?" Willow took Brittany's arm and guided her along the apartment. She helped her relax in the living room couch and she soon after, settled herself in a rocking chair. She couldn't resist a glance at Brittany's priceless face, who sat on the couch, slightly panting from what had just occurred.

A little thrill rushed through Willow. She was having a marvelous time making Brittany scared. She could feel her affection for Brittany growing, as she had hoped it would.  
Brittany blushed and glanced toward the stairs. For a moment, she looked tempted to do the same thing what she did with Giles the day before, then shook her head. "We need to search frantically before Giles' returns. We shouldn't be relaxing in here."

Willow nodded, managing a slight smile. "You can get upstairs and I'll get downstairs."

Brittany looked back at the stairs. Time was rapidly slipping away.

"Just make sure we put everything back where we found it."

Brittany hurried off to the task and Willow made her way around the first floor, starting first to check in the kitchen.

Telling his wife and daughter the truth was the only thing Julianus could do to make his family feel better in their new home, the Imperial Palace. His daughter was sleeping and his wife was involved in reading the daily headlines.

"We have to keep on moving things in," Julianus said simply to his wife.

His wife's eyes did not wander from the stone tablet she was reading. "Haven't we done enough for one day?"

"Ah..."

She stood up. "Oh, I see. You want us to load all of our personal belongings into this huge palace, just so we can lose them. Am I right?"

"I want you to help me... it's not too much to ask for."

"That is all I wanted to know."

His wife kissed him gently on the lips. Her hands did not loosen her grip on the stone tablet as she walked towards the kitchen. "Did you read the headlines?"

Julianus frowned. "No, I didn't."

"Well, whoever wrote this tablet had some strong feelings for Pertinax. It's understandable... He was a good man..." Then his wife let go of the tablet and placed it on the kitchen table. Her gaze met his. "You share my feelings towards Pertinax?"

Julianus nodded. She was right, much as he hated to acknowledge it, since he was now taking his place. The Roman people he feared, would be upset that their 'great' leader was dead and would think of him as having a hand in Pertinax's murder.

His wife nodded, too. "You men were friends. Silly of me to ask you that."

Wishing he could avoid the situation, he began to climb the stairs leading up to the third floor of estate. Carrying a scroll in his hands, he continued up the flight of stairs, determined to find some privacy and more time to prepare for a speech he was going to make to a selective group of Roman legions.

Adjusting to living in the huge Imperial Palace would take many days. The thought of undertaking so much tasks made his chest hurt. Earlier in the day, his wife and daughter had cried and begged him not to become Emperor, but he had somehow managed to convince them, like he did with the Praetorian Guard. It was unfortunate that he would be spending even less time with his family than when he was a senator, but he loved the Empire more than his family. If he had to improve his relationship with his family, or the Empire, he knew he would not hesitate to choose the latter.

"Didius, dear, where are you going? Aren't you going to help me carry things in?"

"I need time to prepare for a speech," he replied. "There's only a few more things that need to be carried in. You can handle it."

Her throat tightened. She loved her husband, but at the moment, she could not believe how she married herself into all of this. ""What about you, Julianus? You're the reason why we moved... you should be helping us. It's not our fault we moved."

"It's not mine, either." He was lying, he told himself. He was an acceptional liar, but his wife had never been so easily bought into his lies as the Senate had been. And he didn't believe she would at this time, either.

"Well, I suppose it's no one's fault we moved here... into this palace. You just happened to be out of the house in the middle of the night, when you should have been in bed. And then the Praetorian Guards saw you and lured you into their camp forcefully... I guess it can be their fault, right?"

Some of the satisfaction he had been feeling with moving into the Palace evaporated away. "The Empire is more important," he said angrily. "Trust me, I didn't want Pertinax to be killed. But when he was, I felt it as a duty to further my position and better our lives."

His wife tried to remain optimistic, but her chest squinched with fear. "Better our lives? How?"

"We're living in the Imperial Palace. We have servants at every corner for christ's sake!"

She frowned, unable to take in the benefits of living in a rich household. "We had servants in our old estate. What makes this so much better?"

Julianus swayed a little on the stairs, feeling lightheaded. His wife was asking him an easy question, so he thought. He knew a civil war was approaching and maybe being in the Imperial Palace would not have been the better move to make. He hadn't known the disadvantages of living on Palatine Hill until that moment.

"I realize Scantilla, you feel that it is your obligation... as a wife... to give me advice and tell me my faults. However, we both know that I am the most powerful man in the world right now. Under no circumstances will I fold and be insecure of my job and duties to the Empire. I assure you, when I married you, I did not expect you to be this upset if I became Emperor. I thought you would be..."

"I was happy to marry you, my lord. But I didn't intend on marrying an Emperor. My emotion to moving here is not happy as you assumed. I don't want a life that can be printed in those tablets. I want to be on the outside."

Julianus shook his head. "It's not too late for that, dear. You will be made Augusta, as well as Clara."

She couldn't believe it. Did he really believe she would simply agree with what he was doing? Turning her shoulders, she walked away from the stairs and headed back into the kitchen. "Prepare for your damn speech."

"You know we'll be living here for a while. You might as well get used to it."

Scantilla thought about yelling, then simply shook her head. "Clara and I will stay outside this palace."

His eyes lit up. "No you won't!" He leaned over the railing, taking a peek at his wife on the second floor. "You listen to me, Manlia. As Emperor, I want my family to be an ideal Roman family and if you leave, you and Clara will be seriously hurt. Have you considered the possibility that I can easily remarry and get some more kids?"

Scantilla froze. The thought had never crossed her mind. "Surely you wouldn't do that to Clara."

His lips curved into a wicked smile. "It has happened many times in history. If you recall, many senators have even caused their wives' deaths to secure better positions for themselves. For me, it is no different."

"What you're saying doesn't matter," Scantilla said. "You are just stressed out."

"If you cause my political career to subside, I will not hesitate to have both you and Clara killed. You understand?"

She glanced toward Clara's room upstairs. "My daughter. If you even say again that you will kill her... I swear, I will..."

"You're going to kill me, right? It wasn't me who mentioned bringing her along to stay outside the palace. Hell, she will be fine with me if she stays here. It is you who will not be, if you leave..."

Scantilla swallowed but did not say anything else. Her husband was not going to give in to her needs. A part of her wanted to be with him for the rest of their lives. The other part she wanted the opposite. She did not want to be with an Emperor for not even a day, let alone a lifetime.

"All right, I'll stay," she finally said.

Julianus sighed a breath of relief. "I'll speak to you later, my dear, as soon as I finish preparing for my speech."

He watched her leave through the kitchen, heading out of the palace. There was a confidence in her strides that he had not seen before. Yesterday, she was just a housewife, who took care of his daughter and made him meals. Today, she was empowered with something foreign. She was acting like a queen.

He heard the door softly close as he slipped quietly away. He passed through a group of black servants leaning against the sides of the walls down the hallway. Determined to show some power of being an Emperor, he instructed the servants to clean the marble floor he walked on. With a speech written in the scroll to examine and many other things to weigh in as Emperor, he left them to their work and went to his study.

His steps seemed to slow down and he found himself strutting confidently to his study. He was surprised to discover that being an Emperor was starting to sink in. Even more amazing, his study seemed like a library, because of all the space provided. Julianus stared at the many scholars in the study, reading through books.

"Wow, I already have historians," he said softly. Carrying the scroll, he headed over to the men. "Greetings, old folk... nice to see you have made yourself at home so quickly."

"We've actually been living here since the days of Commodus," an old man said. "But we are sorry if we are causing any problems for you, Caesar."

"No, it's fine, men. I was just deciding where I could study my scroll here... I'm supposed to give a speech to the twenty-second Roman legion outside of Rome. They appear to be on the ropes on whether to be on my side or someone else's."

"Have you read about the men who are already seeking the throne?" the same old man asked.

Julianus thought of Pescennius Niger, governor of Syria, and Clodius Albinus, governor of Britain, the two men currently at the top of his list, but he was far from ready from knowing all of the men. "No, not yet."

"I'm sure not too many, yet. Make sure you show the populace your power."

"What do you mean?" Julianus asked the old scholar. He placed his scroll on their table and sat down in an empty seat. "I will show my power by delivering my speech."

Another old man spoke up just then. "Speeches does not show power... unless you are Marc Antony. We are more discussing along their lines of..."

"Execution," the talkative old man finished.

Julianus nodded, managing a wobbly smile. "Yes, well... there's no one really to execute."

The talkative old man sunk back into his chair as he looked at his friend. "I knew this Emperor would be naive."

Julianus swallowed, trying to pretend nothing was wrong. "The Praetorian guards who killed Pertinax," he explained. "They're the reason why I'm Emperor. I cannot execute them."

"Oh, is that so, Caesar?" the talkative old man asked.

Julianus frowned, and instead of responding, he found himself wanting to find another place to prepare for his speech. A gasp escaped his lips as the other old man grabbed his arm and hauled him to his seat.

"What do you men know about power? As I see it, you men are just old, wise men who read all day," Julianus said.

"We have been alive longer than you can imagine. We were actually close friends of Marcus Aurelius. So we know what power is and how it should be used," the talkative old man said.

Julianus blinked several times. "Or abused! You men were here with Commodus... you obviously didn't give him the advice he needed!"

The second old man dragged his gaze from his talkative friend, over to Julianus. His stare into Julianus was as if he had lost his mind. "He never asked."

"Then offer it to him! The guy was a gladiator!" Julianus cried.

The talkative old man bit back an urge to laugh and instead kept his serious expression on his face. "He would've cut our throats. We are more important than to be victims of a crazy emperor!"

"All right... We were talking about power... you're saying this speech will not do anything..." Julianus began.

The talkative old man nodded very seriously. "Yes. That will only show the people that you are trying to convince them that you're a good Emperor."

"While in the process, it will only show them that you might be trying to win them over since you had a role in Pertinax's death," the other old man added.

"Why do people think that? Don't they know it was the Praetorian Guards who did it!" Julianus wondered if he had made the right choice in being Emperor.

"You needn't worry too much about it, my lord. You will be well protected by the Praetorian Guard," the talkative old man said.

"I'm sure I will." Julianus glanced around the study and saw that almost all of the scholars in the huge study had their eyes on him. His face softened into a smile at the welcomed attention.

"Like I said before... execution would be the best action to take. It will likely steer away the populace's idea that you had a role in Pertinax's death," the talkative old man said.

Julianus' attention turned to the man and he frowned. "No, I can't. The Praetorian Guard helped me get here, can't you see! I have no one to execute..." Worry tightened around his chest. He knew the old men had a point that an execution would show him in a better light. His simply did not have anyone to execute.

"Who said anything about the Praetorian Guard?" the talkative old man asked.

Julianus' eyebrows raised. "What?"

"You remember Laetus? The chief conspirator in Commodus' death? To my knowledge he is still in the Praetorian Guard," the talkative old man said. "I thought you would know of him..."

Julianus bit his lip nervously. "Laetus...? I don't recall ever seeing a Laetus in the Praetorian guard."

"Maybe because he is keeping a low profile," the talkative old man said. "Makes sense being he was the reason why Commodus was killed."

Julianus forced himself to smile. "Okay... so you're saying I should execute Laetus... But Commodus was a hated Emperor. The main organizer of his murder should be commended, not punished."

The three men talked a little longer, the talkative old man explaining the best actions to take against Laetus, and the success it would bring the new Emperor by making the populace not believe Julianus had any part in Pertinax's death.

Julianus glanced away, amazed that the old men were helping him understand more of the big picture. He was sick of people thinking that he caused Pertinax's death. It was a harsh rumor that should have never been started by the Romans in the first place.

"Okay... I'll be careful about doing this... you men are wiser than I thought," Julianus said. "What's your names?"

"I'm Catullus," the talkative old man said.

"Polybius," the other old man said.

Julianus shook both of their hands. "It was a pleasure to talk with you."

"Do not implicate us in his execution, my lord," Catullus said.

"I won't," Julianus said.

A soft knock sounded on the study door. A tall, muscular servant stuck his head out from the doorway. "The leader of the Praetorian Guard is here, my lord. He says it is urgent."

"Let him in."

A couple moments later, the brown-haired man in his reddish armor of a Praetorian Guard walked into the study, gold patches of honor shining from the shoulders of his attire. Pulcher made his way over to the fourth empty seat and shook hands with Julianus as he sat.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Pulcher."

"Same with you, my lord."

"I was just talking with some of my friends here... Catullus and Polybius..."

Pulcher eyed both of the old men. He nodded his head to acknowledge their presence. "Hello."

"So what have you come to tell me?"

Pulcher actually smiled. "Some good news, Caesar." He glanced at the old men's penetrating eyes, then back at Julianus. "Can we talk somewhere, more... private?"

Julianus waited a couple of seconds, then rose from his chair. "Okay." He looked at the old men. "Thank you for your service to the Emperor."

"Our pleasure," Catullus said, shaking Julianus' hand.

Polybius just nodded. The men knew what they were talking about; Julianus was sure of that. He purposely left his scroll at the table, realizing that it would be of no use. He would have to be tough and resolute, and execute a member of the Praetorian Guard. The problem was, he had to tell Pulcher.

Xander chose to be alone for the rest of the day. He could hear sobbing from Buffy in their room upstairs, but he had no energy to go upstairs to calm her down. He remained nestled in a comfortable cushion on the floor, his thoughts shifting to how he'd gotten himself in the position he was in and going into the army in the first place.

He had some regrets about going into the army. He was left with a tough choice, which caught him totally by surprise, and Buffy didn't talk to him since he told her the news. Xander had plans about what he would do with Buffy before he was told by Cimberius to join the army. He hoped to have many romantic experiences like he had with her in the scaffold and the Baths of Titus. He felt amazing when he was with Buffy. Not the feeling he had with Cordelia, Willow, Faith, or Anya. It was like his whole life's dreams were coming true. Unfortunately when he had the choice, or lack of, to be with Buffy, he chose the opposite one instead. Xander understood exactly why he went into the army. This entry into warfare and training would make him a stronger person, and it gave him some purpose considering he was in a dangerous city.

He was told the main reasons once again by Cimberius while eating lunch with him and Paulus. The essential reason was a way of protecting Buffy and at the same time, doing the same with Paulus. He knew other reasons as well that hit home pretty hard. What happened at Cato's household was something he understood. It could've been Cimberius' slashing of Acacia, or perhaps the deflouring and rape of an eleven-year-old girl, but whatever horrific thing that occurred in the house, it showed Xander an omen of what would happen if he stayed any longer at Paulus' home. After being told that Pulcher would be on the lookout for him and Buffy, he didn't need any more convincing on whether to go into the army or not. He was prepared to sacrifice his life to keep Buffy safe.

Like he had always done in his life, Xander let Buffy know everything would work out fine. He hoped for his own sake that it would be, because he had the same insecurities of that reassurance when he made his 'Spartacus' speech at Buffy's, before losing his left eye. He always had the ability to comfort people and reassure them that they'd be all right. In the end, he really was just a man confused trying to make himself feel better by telling people that. He was usually the man who needed advice, but gave it to others when he really didn't know much of what he was talking about.

What of his left eye? It was replaced with a prosthetic eye, then instituted with a miraculous new technology of laser eye surgery, giving him vision based on his new cornea and iris. He was still wondering how he afforded such a surgery, but it didn't take him long to realize he had good friends. All of them were willing to chip in an amount of their money, even Faith of all people. Maybe she had feelings for him more than just sex, he thought. Whenever he needed money, $2,400 dollars in total, he received it without hesitation from his peers.

Buffy contributed the most of his friends. Her enthuiasm for helping her friend was scorched with excitement. She would have paid the entire total if she had the money, he thought. She felt most responsible for his lost body part, since she thought she dragged her friends into the quagmire of defeating Caleb. Thankfully, at this point, Xander was sure that Buffy knew he would offer his life for her and that she should not feel any regret of what happened. After all, it was his fault for not looking what was behind him.

With a heartfelt sigh, he pinched the hard, non-fleshy prosthetic eye and felt the hardness of its surface. It felt like a glass eye compared to his right eye. He wanted both of his eyes to be soft and real, something that could make him feel more human than robotic. "Hey as long as I don't have a terminator red-eye, I'm good," Xander thought to himself.

He moved to one of the wooden cabinets in the living room and opened a drawer, taking out a packet of letters, then lifted out a knife from the bottom of the stack. He already knew that a weapon was in the cabinet. Paulus and Cimberius' guarding of the cabinet was evident by their insistence to cover it from his view when he talked to them shortly after eating. Something about the knife attracted him to it.

He placed the blade into the belt pouch that Cimberius had gave him minutes before and closed the drawer.

"You know... people usually ask for things in this Empire... or 'country' like you would say," Cimberius said.

Cimberius stepped inside the living room, pausing long to stare out the open window letting it in the blistering cold. Holding onto armor containing segmented steel pieces tied together with a leather strap, he stepped closer to Xander then stopped inches close to him, looking at him in the eyes.

The armor Cimberius held in his hands gleamed red, because of the magnificent red plumes on both the shoulder blades. Xander figured that the plume was of great significance and was unmindful that Cimberius might hand him such a beautiful gift.

"It took me a while for me to decide whether or not to give you this... but, here-" Cimberius said quickly. He threw the silver plated steel into Xander's hands, and Xander almost fell to the ground because of the weight of the armor. Cimberius lifted the sagging armor up to Xander's neck and then helped him place it through his neck and over his body.

The fact that Cimberius had given Xander the stunning armor was no accident. It was a reminder to Xander that Cimberius respected him and his bravery. Xander cursed briefly as the sharp armor pierced into his skin but somehow he managed to drape it over him.

Cimberius watched Xander as his face broke into a smile.

To say that Xander was surprised by Cimberius' gift would be an understatement. Xander still couldn't believe that he was wearing what appeared to be armor used in battle and of great importance.

"Are you sure you can carry all that weight?" Cimberius asked.

Xander nodded, clutching his hand to his armor, trying to make it firm to his chest.

"Oh, it's kind of loose on you. Let me fix that." Cimberius reached to the leather strap at the bottom of the armor and tied a couple knots around the armor tightly.

Xander felt upset with himself. He had come seconds away from decapitating Cimberius and now the man he was about to kill was treating him with better armor than even his own.

Xander sighed. "Thank you for this armor. Was it yours?"

"I wish you hadn't asked me that," Cimberius grumbled, then rubbed his hands on his own armor, trying to keep his hands warm from the cold coming in.

"Why is that?"

Cimberius groaned. "I'm still reeling over letting you have this armor. It's already taken enough bruises and giving it to you for training will only make it worse."

"Oh... so it is yours," he muttered, and he glanced left and right at the noticeable red plumes on the armor.

"Who's armor did you think it was? Paulus? Hell, he doesn't even go outside..."

"Initially I did," Xander said. "So what are these plumes?"

Cimberius snorted and rubbed his wet nose. "They're war decorations of course. It was from the invasion of the Sarmatians."

Xander stared at him strangely for a moment, then turned and glanced out the window.

"You're probably wondering why I'm not wearing those," Cimberius said.

Xander raised his eyebrows. "The thought crossed my mind. These soldiers we're training with are going to think I'm some military hero..."

"It has nothing to do with worrying about fighting with high expectations," Cimberius said. "I swore to myself that I would not put that armor on again. To me... the armor is a curse."

Xander sneered. "Oh, so you give me the curse to use for my first day of training?"

"I'm afraid you misjudge my intentions, Xander. I also want you to be respected as a former soldier, not an outsider. The soldiers we'll come into contact with are very judgemental. By having this armor, it saves you the time to do things as rite of passage within the circuit..."

Xander took a step forward towards Cimberius, once again placing his hand firmly against the armor, adjusting it to make it as comfortable as possible.

"You talk as if you are ashamed to go into training... Maybe this armor is a curse. I might be ridiculed for being assumed I'd been in the army when we go into training. I see what you're getting at..." Xander said.

Cimberius' heart started to pound. "Look, all you have to do is tell them you've been injured for a while and you're a little rusty... that you might need to hone your skills."

Xander found himself nodding. "All right... whatever, Cimberius. I'm not going to complain... this armor will do the job, but I hate to lie to others about who I am. I just want to tell the truth for a change."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Xander was on thin ice. Up until that moment, he had been covering his trail pretty well and hadn't messed up yet. "Nothing. I'm saying I had to lie a lot to the Emperor when I was in jail and so forth..." And lie right now, Xander thought.

"Oh, so just that one time you feel that was enough for you to lie... You had to anyway to live! Don't give me this crap that you want to tell the truth for a change..."

A cheer came from the kitchen.

"I got some more drinks to get you guys ready for battle," Paulus announced, and stepped into the living room despite seeing both Xander and Cimberius giving each other angry looks.

Paulus pointed at Xander's armor and wriggled his eyebrows. "Did you fight Cimberius for that armor, boy?"

"No, Paulus, I gave it to him," Cimberius said.

"Maybe you should give him our whole stash of weaponry and supplies," Paulus suggested, unwilling to believe that his grandson would be so kind to give away his decorated armor to a guest. "So I take it you don't want him to get any bruises."

Cimberius nodded. It was another reason why he chose a weaker steel plate of armor than Xander. He promised to himself that he would make sure that Xander would come back to Buffy, but it was obvious that Xander could get hurt in the neck and face area, which was not protected. No one else would have done what he did, he thought. He probably did it out of compassion for a man who saved the girl he loved from execution and then escaped execution himself. That was the least he could do.

Anxious that his father might begin binge drinking, Cimberius felt the sudden urge to hurry and get the beers away from him. "Paulus, you're not drinking..."

"Come on, it's been one full day," Paulus hissed, and he wiped his lips from the flow of beer that suddenly was coming from his mouth.

Cimberius looked at Xander and Xander nodded at him.

"When you knock his face into the wall, make sure you don't kill him," Xander told him.

Cimberius proceeded to repeat what happened the day before when he knocked his stubborn grandfather out cold. It was the only option he had since his grandfather would not let go of his beers.

Paulus gave Cimberius a frustrated look. "Boy, you're going to have do better than last time," Paulus said, and he raced down the hallway for the nearest room where he can hide. Cimberius chased after him.

Xander's face brightened. He hadn't been that happy all day. He waited for the bang of the wall and once it came, he went to the stairway. Xander stood at the front steps, waiting patiently for the courage to go up to his room and say goodbye to Buffy. He knew he had to make the goodbye good. He also knew Buffy was still crying, and he had to suffice his own need to make her happy again.

While he waited for the right time, Cimberius came around the corner and into his view. Cimberius leaned his head against the outer corner of the foyer and looked at Buffy and Xander's room. He could hear soft sobbing through the walls.

Even Cimberius was stunned at what he was hearing. He didn't expect Buffy to still be in sadness.

"The girl loves you man," Cimberius said, facing Xander. "Make your goodbye count."

Xander tried to relax. Did she love him? "I will." Surely if he could handle the apocalyspe in Sunnydale, then he could handle a goodbye with Buffy.

Cimberius turned toward the front door. "You know... I feel guilty."

"You shouldn't be," Xander said kindly, hoping he sounded as compassionate as what the situation demanded.

Cimberius shifted his stance towards Xander. He began to sweat. "I... uh, stole both of that man's horses..."

Xander swallowed hard. "Sunset and Stormy?"

"I guess that's their names." He pointed out the window at the two horses waiting outside. "They're beautiful horses."

"Remind me to make you give them back to Cato," Xander said suddenly. He took a deep breath and sighed. "You couldn't of told me that at a worst possible time."

Cimberius leaned against a post next to the stairway. "Look, I needed some horses of my own."

"We'll talk more about this later," Xander hissed.

Cimberius wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded.

"Now, if you don't mind... I have to say goodbye to the girl of my dreams..."

Cimberius smiled as Xander walked slowly up the flight of stairs, carrying the weight of the armor with him. "Take your time, my friend."

A horse neighed from the outside. Cimberius looked outside the window. Two men were walking down the road beside the tied horses. Cimberius sighed and looked up at Xander. "5 minutes?"

"It'll probably be less than that."

Relieved, Cimberius grinned and stood up straight. "Okay. I'll be waiting outside."

Xander continued to walk up the stairs, still pondering what to say to Buffy. For some reason, he didn't think the simple hug and kiss goodbye would work in this situation. Buffy was the only thing that mattered to Xander in his life. He'd have to see it that he gave Buffy the best goodbye he could possibly give to any woman.

Julianus followed Pulcher to the lounge and scooped up a glass of water lying on a table before Julianus could. Pulcher's hands cupped the glass and then shoved it at Julianus before he could fuss.

"This is just water, Julianus. I made a long walk here unlike you... so I deserve this fine glass."

Julianus rolled his eyes. "I'm a little worried. There's a lot I have to do in so little time."

"Servants! The Emperor needs a drink." Pulcher leaned against a wall while some black servants darted out of the lounge.

"It's really not that important," Julianus said. "As long as you don't show me your arrogance, that is. There's too much of that going around."

Pulcher gritted his teeth and leaned off from the wall. "I can see you've already fitted comfortably into being Emperor. That makes me happy, really. I was beginning to think you weren't man enough for the job."

"I may not be a soldier... but not being one doesn't make me any less than a man."

"A senator does," Pulcher noted.

He rolled his eyes. "Pulcher, tell me what is the good news. If it is good news, then it should spilled out right away. For I have some grave news to tell to you."

Pulcher sighed. It was the usual answer he'd been getting all his life. Whenever there was good news, there was bad news attached to it. To Julianus, it might both be bad news.

"Come Julianus! Why do you make such a happy moment turn into despair! Let me bask in the warm glow of good news."

Julianus pursed his lips. "What is this... good news?"

Pulcher shook his head, and then his grim expression lightened. "When I was back in the Praetorian camp... a soldier of ours told us they spotted... what they were told... the owner of the house I burnt down." He lowered his head nervously and looked up. "He said he overheard a conversation that the husband was distraught that his wife and daughter were killed. I feel that if we can find that man, maybe we can find the lovers. It was his house after all, they stayed at."

Julianus' eyes widened. He was less thrilled than he was earlier about taking action against them. In a way, he seemed it was necessary to let the lovers be since they were not of much political importance. It appeared to him that the matter of Laetus was to take over the matter of the lovers as his first action.

"That is good news, Pulcher," Julianus said. "But I've decided not to take action against them."

Pulcher frowned as he gazed at the lovely women and men in the soft beds around the lounge. "I guess this time off has done more harm than good. I think you need some sleep, Caesar, and then you will find it easier to make a decision on this matter."

Julianus could almost hear Pulcher saying, 'Damn it, let me kill the lovers!'

He sighed, then stepped forward into the lounge, confident that Pulcher would follow.

Julianus glared at Pulcher. "Personal matters such as this are best left alone to themselves," Julianus said shortly.

Pulcher's mouth pursed angrily, but he refused to comment his opinion. Instead, he gulped down the glass of water in his hands and threw it

across the lounge. It smashed into pieces. No amount of physical action would calm down his temper. This small piece of frustration gave little solace to the crave he had for finding the lovers.

Julianus shuddered slightly. Pulcher's temper came without warning and he sensed that was the advantage of being the leader of the Praetorian Guard. He stopped and turned to look at Pulcher, as if expecting him to take out some of his anger on him.

Julianus frowned. "Their execution is of no political purpose. That is something I realized-"

"Dammit, Caesar. Just leave this matter to me and my men, all right? We, the Praetorian Guard, can take the heat for their deaths."

Julianus grinned. He loved to see Pulcher at his mercy, begging for an opportunity to kill the escaped couple. It was a rare sight for him to see. The leader of the most powerful group in the Empire, all but getting on his knees, begging for murder.

"I think you're the one who needs some sleep, Pulcher," Julianus said, scratching his neck. "This obsession of killing this couple is way out of hand."

"It is not an obsession!" Pulcher shouted. "It was my fault that they did not get punished for I chose the day of their execution to assassinate the Emperor. I feel that I let down the justice system!"

"Yes, you did. But no matter what you do, it will not make up for such an act," Julianus said. Then he shook his head and continued walking through the lounge. There were too many people in the lounge for his liking. "I guess this is your definition of somewhere... private to talk, huh?"

"Julianus, do me this small favor, please. I am the reason you are Emperor. You would be just another senator at the mercy of a power-crazed Emperor if it wasn't for me!"

"Tell that to my wife. That'd be the best favor for me... She still believes I chose this bloody job."

Pulcher's frown deepened. "Where would you be if it wasn't for me? Would you be here... in this lounge?"

Julianus shook his head. "No, I wouldn't. I'd be thankful I wouldn't be here."

In the process of a sigh, Pulcher paused, giving the Emperor a long, hard look. "You owe me this."

The conversation had strayed away from the business manner it began with and it startled Julianus enough to make him reply with frustration. "I owe you nothing, Pulcher! Yes, being an Emperor is great... for the moment. But now I have this burden that if someone wants to remove me from office, I'd have to be killed. It is not such a great job as I once thought it was. Sure, I auctioned myself to be Emperor, but not before you coerced me into the bidding!"

"Then I guess that is how you'll be, huh?"

Julianus frowned, then scratched at his neck again out of habit. It had been a long time since he'd gotten so much off his chest.

"What is your problem, Caesar? You act like you're ashamed of this Empire."

"Right now, with the possibility of a civil war, yes," Julianus said. "A man of your caliber I would think would share that feeling... since you got all of us in this position in the first place."

Pulcher nodded. "So I'm the one who gets blamed for everything. It was Pertinax who turned his back on us and leaned his support to the Senate. You know that."

Julianus shook his head in disgust at his friend's lack of morality. He smoothed a hand over his long gray hair, and then did the same for his beard.

"You see things in a different perspective, Pulcher."

Pulcher spit at his feet. "Oh, is that something else I did wrong? When you are dead, I will make sure you get the proper burial rites. The same Pertinax received after his assassination. You hear?"

Julianus smiled. "Oh, I hear. I'm not the same old man like Pertinax who had to speak his way out of most of his problems. Don't compare me with Pertinax ever again. And threats to an Emperor's life is treason..."

"It won't be the first threat you'll receive." Pulcher waited until Julianus nodded. Satisifed that he had grasped the Emperor's attention, he asked the Emperor about the bad news. "I want to hear this. I'm sure it won't be pleasing."

Julianus glared at the leader of the Praetorian Guard. He knew that Pulcher would go insane after telling him that he wanted one of the Praetorian Guard executed. But as Emperor, he knew when he took action, that not everything he did would bode well with the populace. Sometimes, the unpopular choice was the right one.

"Laetus... I want him executed. His role in Commodus' assassination should not go unpunished," Julianus muttered.

"How dare you!"

"You want me to execute another ringleader in the assassination of an Emperor?" Julianus asked.

Unable to believe that Julianus wanted to execute one of his fellow men in the guard, he leaned back, pressing his body against a nearby wall to try to combat the shivering he was feeling in his bones. He was in shock. The Emperor's decision had totally caught him off guard. The sad part was that it would be a good decision by Julianus. It would not complicate him in Pertinax's assassination.

"When... my lord?" Pulcher asked.

Julianus simply gave Pulcher a satisfied smile, trying not to show too much of his pleasure in his action.

"I want him publicly executed before sundown. I want every Roman to believe that I am for justice and would not slay a man like Pertinax."

"Uh... Caesar, This-"

"Won't please the Praetorian Guard, I know," Julianus said quickly. "I will worry about that another time. Just focus all your energy and resources on that task..."

"I know this makes you appear guiltless, Caesar. But I am worried about myself too... I worked hard to build up a reputation in this guard."

"Pulcher, I know this may be sudden, but I cannot wait any longer to do this. The Roman mobs soon will be more a threat on my life than the Roman legions outside Rome, its generals probably wanting my job as we speak."

Pulcher was stunned. He did not know what had made Julianus so bold to make a decision like that, but he wasn't going to delve into the issue any further. He stood up from the wall. Then he took a deep, dramatic breath and walked away.

While leaving the crowded lounge, Pulcher was trying to maintain his dignity. He was going to execute one of his own men at the Emperor's request. He knew Laetus was not a popular man in the guard, but either was himself. Pulcher grasped his helmet from one of the tables he placed it on before turning to the Emperor with an approving nod.

Julianus sighed. Pulcher did not follow orders very well. That was the unfortunate price he had as Emperor that he had to live with. Every decision he made, if not well received by Pulcher, had the potential of making him regret even making the decision. He looked at everything around the lounge but a young woman who was staring hatefully at him and was crying like a widowed wife. Finally, Julianus spoke.

"Flavia... I'm sorry."

Flavia glared and threw a pillow in his direction. "How could you? My father had the Emperor position secured... You were Pertinax's closest friend!"

Julianus rolled his eyes. He did not know what was worse-- talking to the wife of a dead Emperor or the murderer of the Emperor.

"Bastard!" she screamed, and she stood up, determined to give him a beating.

"Flavia, dear. I already apologized." As soon as he finished, he felt fists dig deep into his chest and begin to sting from the pain. "Ow!"

Certain that her pummeling would arise security, she stepped backward. "You have some nerve," Flavia said, glaring at the Emperor as if he was scum. "Consorting with the man who killed my husband... and taking my husband's position."

"It's just politics."

She hit him again in the stomach. "Well, this is just my frustration." She scurried out of the lounge before anyone could do anything.

A guard stationed at one of the corners of the lounge approached Julianus. "Should I arrest her, my lord?"

Still reeling from the blows that Flavia gave him, he gasped, "No. Let her be. I deserve this."

The guard nodded. "As you wish, my lord."

Just as he was about to stand up straight, a wave of pain rushed through his stomach. He turned and squinted, trying to get rid of the painful feeling. "Shit..." he mumbled, then he staggered to the ground in pain.

Buffy hadn't stopped crying all day. Xander was beginning to worry. A storm was starting to form outside and he didn't like the idea of her being in the home by herself. Then he heard footsteps approach the door to their room and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He walked in to greet her, noticing the sad look on her face, and his relief soon turned into regret.

"Look, Buffy, I'm going no matter what."

"You're doing an excellent job as a manly hero, Xander. Perhaps... this time... you're going too far."

Xander's heart was pounding. He had never seen a look like the one he saw on Buffy's face. The only face he could remember that resembled such a look was when she changed Angel into 'Angelus', following sex with him. He went into her room, and she followed him in and closed the door. As they walked to the bed, Xander searched Buffy's eyes for any signs of what she was thinking, but he found them hard and emotionless.

"Mind if you sit on the bed, Xander?"

She didn't have to ask him. His legs were trembling. Something was wrong with him and he knew that it had something to do with the armor he was wearing. She walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down beside Xander.

"I've done a lot of thinking about our relationship. We've been through a lot, Xander..."

"No question about that," he laughed. "I don't think we were even close friends before we traveled here."

"That's true."

"Buffy, why... why are you crying so much?"

"I've been hiding my feelings from you... feelings I hoped I would tell you earlier. Not now of all times... before you go off into training..."

"Oh god," Xander thought. "Is she going to tell me she loves me?" Xander tried to remain calm, his heart literally beating out of his chest.

"What kind of feelings?" he asked.

Buffy walked over to their table and poured herself water from a small bucket into a cup. "You want some water, Xand? Looks like you might need some before you go..."

Xander shook his head. "I'm okay." That was a lie, he thought.

Buffy took a sip of the water. She appeared so calm and relaxed. Amazingly. Xander thought perhaps all the crying she spewed had numbed her.

"They're good feelings, Xand. Nothing hateful..."

"Hateful," Xander said, unable to relax from the connotations the word brought.

"Yeah, I know... There's a lot of hate in this place. Hell, the first thing I remember coming in here was being carted off to being hanged for witchcraft."

Xander's chest tightened from her experience of being hung. "Beats being burned at a stake," he joked.

"Yeah, doesn't it? I wasn't as privileged as you were with the family that took you in. You were so lucky, Xand."

"Cato and his family... they were great people. A little weird, but great people nonetheless..."

She shook her cup in her hands. "And then the Roman soldiers, 'Praetorian Guard', as they call them... burst into Cato's household and killed Acacia and her child. Cato was the lucky one... he was gone."

The way she sounded made Xander uneasy. He tried to breathe. How did Buffy know he was lucky? "Buffy, it was a good thing I let him go."

"Oh, really? If you knew the soldiers were going to come in and kill everyone... why didn't you let the women go?"

Xander couldn't stand the calmness Buffy exerted. She wasn't angry or showing any signs of frustration. Yet, Xander could feel it from her voice.

Xander took a deep breath. "When you raced out of the scaffold I was stunned. I thought we would do it in a more organized manner. And you know... that man, who chased us... I had a feeling he was a soldier when I laid eyes on him. Perhaps I should've left the scaffold the same time you did."

"Yes, you should have, Xander. I was wondering why you weren't following me."

"The man who chased us and carried a sword... he was the guy who led the assault on Cato's household. He was the reason why Acacia and Illeana were killed. If I could have just kept my face out of sight and followed you, maybe I could've spared their lives."

Buffy remained silent, gazing deep into Xander's eyes.

"I-I just had that feeling... not a good one." He tried to smile. "That this guy would be stubborn and somehow find us. I should've told you my fears before but-"

"You were hiding them."

"Yes. I didn't want to make you afraid."

"That's unfortunate, Xander. Perhaps if you told me, we would have been ready for their attack."

She nearly fainted. Xander could see the dark circles underneath her eyes.

Xander reached out his hand. "Buff... maybe the water is not helping..."

She swallowed down the water. "Don't worry about me, Xander. This is not liquor or anything, so I can't get drunk."

Xander grinned. "Actually, being drunk would be a good thing."

She laughed lightly, dropping the empty cup. "Maybe it would be... It would be great, considering I wouldn't have to worry about you leaving and all... and I can act crazy and be happy for a change."

She stood over Xander, barely able to stand, looking down at him as if he was a teddy bear she'd given affectionate eyes to as a child. She wasn't looking at him like he was a person. He had to get her sitting down on the bed again. He couldn't stand the depressed, lonesome look on her face.

He got to his feet and moved close to Buffy, letting his arms slide around her neck. The warmth of his touch drifted over her senses. His fingers played with the back of her blonde locks. Taken by the feeling, she pressed her face into his armor. She could feel his heart beat through the steel while in the embrace. Xander felt her heartbeat as well. Her beating was not as calm as Xander thought it was.

"Xander... I love you," she finally said. "I should have told you a long time ago... back in Sunnydale. I was just afraid of what you might do... since you were in a relationship with Brittany and all. I knew it would be too much for you to handle if I told you." She leaned back to face him, raised on her tiptoes and kissed him. Xander felt numb. He stood there motionless, his hands hanging towards the ground.

The kiss was overwhelming. It was astonishing.

She kissed him again, more forcefully. She made his lips move apart with her own and she slid her tongue over his. She pressed herself harder into him and felt the spark of arousal rage through her. She wanted him. Like she had always wanted him.

"Buffy..." Xander breathed, and there was sorrow in his voice.

"Xander, I'm sorry for not telling you..." She pressed her small kisses around the curve of his mouth, then kissed him deeply again. Kissing him with the skills she had developed from Xander, she slid her tongue over his, teasing him, before pulling back. "I should have told you years ago. I wish to god that I had. I won't hide anything else from you again, I swear."

Xander appeared to not be listening to what she was saying. His body remained tense and tight like it was when she first kissed him. She thought his expression was a signal for her to back away. "Xander... what's wrong?"

Her hands were trembling with fear. In panic, she slid off his armor from his body, tugged off his shirt underneath, and tossed them to the side. Grabbing firm to his cheeks with her palms, she dragged his mouth down to hers in for yet another blistering kiss.

Still, Xander remained motionless. She tugged at his jeans and recklessly unbuttoned them, urgent to touch him, to break him from his reluctance. He wasn't helping her situation, but he didn't object when she pulled off his jeans and put her mouth against the naked flesh just below his waist. Xander moaned lightly as he felt Buffy's mouth inside his thighs, then invaded his balls, where he could feel the moistness of her tongue. She licked and tasted him, refusing to stop until Xander pushed her aside.

She was sobbing out his name when he lifted her to her feet. "Buffy... I gotta go-"

She quieted him with a kiss, even more frightened than it had been before. She took his hand and led him to the bed, more urgent than Xander was before to the idea. Xander seemed so exhausted, too upset to protest when she came up on top of him, smothering him with passionate kisses. She kissed him and kissed him, hoping Xander could fully believe the love she had told him. She prayed that he believed her.

"I love you Xander," Buffy said. "I love you."

Xander whispered her name and his tone, filled with sadness, was frightening to Buffy. Sitting up, he smoothed her hair with his fingers. Buffy lifted her hand and squeezed one of his hands with her own.

"Buff... you're delirious... you're just saying that," he said.

"What... what are you talking about?" Buffy choked.

"I'm just saying that you're upset... that I'm leaving. You've been crying all day. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy all what you're doing... It just doesn't mean anything to me. You don't love me."

"You... you don't believe me?"

"I don't know what to believe, Buff. This is too much for me..."

Buffy swallowed hard, struggling against the hot flames of tears that began to flow down her cheeks. "Xander... I love you. I love you more than a friend. I told you enough times... Don't you see?"

Xander straightened up and got off the bed. He put on his shirt and jeans, and then threw on his armor. "I'm sure you said this to Spike... right before he died. To Angel, right before you stabbed him in the heart. I don't want this 'I love you' thing before I go... it tears me up. It just means that I'm going to die and you don't want me to... I know how you see things Buff..." Turning away from her, he went to the door. "Goodbye Buffy... I'll be back."

"Xand, wait!" Buffy dragged the sheet from the bed with her and chased after him, gripping his arm to stop him before he left. She was madly in love with Xander and she couldn't bear to see him not believe what she was saying. "I... I love you."

Xander grinned. "Strange you didn't tell me before. Perhaps I should leave you more often."

"Xander, it's not that! I swear to god!"

Xander's lips curved into a frown. "Don't swear to god, Buffy..." Xander looked away. "Swear to Jupiter." And then he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Buffy sank on the floor in front of the door. She sobbed irrestrainably. She cried for minutes, until she could hear Xander's voice from outside the home. She could hear Xander moving around outside, talking to Cimberius, then the galloping of the horses. He left, and was on his way to training.

He didn't believe her. Why didn't he? She had hidden it from him ever since they were in the scaffold. Now she believed she should have told him sooner. She wanted terribly to prove to Xander that she loved him, but with him gone, she didn't have a chance.

"Buffy," Xander whispered.

"What?" Cimberius asked, looking at his friend.

The name whispered through Xander, filling him with memories, causing an ache in his heart. The horse he was riding on continued down the street.

"What happened, Xander?"

"She loves me," he told Cimberius. He chuckled sadly. "She 'loves' me."

"Didn't I tell you that she did? What happened? Why are you so grim?"

"Nothing," he said simply. He hoped that Buffy was telling the truth, but there was no way he was certain that she did. She probably acted that way to anyone who left her life. Xander was even more disgusted because he didn't think he was going to leave her life. He was coming back. There was no need for a sad, melancholy goodbye that Buffy gave him. Or was there? "Cimberius, how long is this training?"

"A couple of days."

Xander laughed. "Then why would she give me a tearful goodbye?"

"Well, if the training goes well... it could be a few months in the army... we might get some action."

Xander fought an urge to ride his horse back to his house. "What? You didn't tell me that!"

"I'm sorry, Xander. I told Buffy... I thought she would tell you."

Xander's stomach knotted. He had acted like a fool to Buffy. He still wasn't certain if she loved him, but there was a good chance she did. "Why should I judge her?" he thought. "I love her more than this life," he said out loud.

Both of their horses strode down the street, anxious to get to their destination.

Surely there was a problem here. Buffy had told Xander that she loved him. She swore that she was telling the truth. Xander tried hard but still couldn't believe her. "She can't love me..."

"I hate to interupt you from talking with yourself... but don't worry, you'll be back."

Xander forced a smile. "Yeah... I'll be back."

The clock in Giles' apartment struck four o'clock. Immersed in searching through his cabinets downstairs, Willow could barely hear the noise. She stared into the broken handle to one of the cabinets she had not checked. Tiredly, she rubbed her eyes and pulled it open with the awkward handle, thinking she would just find old, boring books inside.

Brittany and her had been in the apartment for too long now and no sign of pinning Giles for anything was there. As she looked in the cabinet, she sighed, finally hearing the ticking of the clock. At least there was some satisfaction that they had broken into his home and showed an effort of trying to find out more information about Giles. Still, that wasn't enough to please Willow. She owed it to herself to save her friends.

Willow glanced through the papers stored in the cabinet, thinking how crappy her present situation was. She thought of Brittany and wondered, and hoped, maybe that she had found something.

Then something caught her eye. From the moment she first saw it, she was fascinated by the book. She thought that Giles probably bought it recently since the tag and date of purchase was still on the book. Whatever the case was, the title of the book was simply, "Time Travel. Ways to go into the past."

"Brittany!" Willow called.

Brittany read through the book with Willow, going over each of the steps it took to undergo the time travel. Einstein's theory of relativity, light travel, force, space travel, energy, paradoxes, and calculating the destination were among the lists she spotted through the book.

It wasn't until thirty minutes later, when Brittany went back upstairs to Giles' room, where she had sex with him the day before, when Willow found something of importance.

"Please tell me you found something..." Brittany said, walking down the stairs.

Willow glanced at Brittany, who was staring out the window holding onto an armload of sheets she found from Giles' room. "I did... it's highlighted and everything..." She gazed down at the writing.

Brittany followed her gaze, and stood over Willow, looking at the book with an astonished look on her face. Reaching her finger to the page, she pointed out the most important feature. "We can go back in time... we can."

Anticipation tightened Willow's chest. They needed to test the time travel scheme out. They were out of any options. They simply had no choice but to go back in time.

"The year he wrote down... 193... I don't know why that year but..."

Brittany kept her finger pointed at the written year on the page. "We have to get together and try this..."

Willow looked up at Brittany. Brittany's eyes were unusually excited and for some reason, strange. "Brittany... this is not some vacation... we need to find out how to get back."

"Well... we need to get out of this apartment, first."

Willow started forward to the door, carrying the book in her hands. "Brittany, please put the papers back where you found them. Make sure he doesn't know that we came here."

Brittany's face softened at Willow's. "Okay." She strolled upstairs, carrying the papers in her hands.

Willow's heart was racing. She ripped out the essential page from the book and went over to the cabinet. Without hesitation she shoved the book into the cabinet and closed it. Gripping onto the paper, she stuffed it in her pocket. "Come on, Brittany! Let's go!"

Her command brought Brittany racing down the steps. With a sigh, both of them headed for the door.

The three-hour ride out of the city and deep through the forest soon became four. Xander entertained himself with having conversations with Cimberius about Rome, the city, and why he stole the horses. It seemed, as Cimberius told him, that it was an honor to take things from criminals. But it was hard to concentrate with his heart still in pain for what he did to Buffy. Everytime he felt sick, the two would stop, which helped his pain, but once they continued, it started to hurt.

It was late in the evening when both of them reached a small village, named Gerasa, as Cimberius told Xander earlier in the trip and both of their horses turned toward a small stone building, in front of a large steel gate. There was a man stationed inside the building, reminding Xander of a toll booth.

Xander glanced at Cimberius. "Do we have to pay?"

"Just announce our intentions." He looked at Xander. "Don't worry, we're fine."

Xander sighed, though his eyes held a smile. "Don't jinx it."

"Thanks for letting me stay at your home, Cornelius." Cato silently thanked god that he was in safe hands and with someone. He was, after all, homeless. He was desperately in need of somewhere to stay.

Cornelius relaxed in his comfortable chair. "I must tell you, Cato... It wasn't easy getting you here." Cato rolled his eyes. "You were drunk."

Cato's eyes did not waver from the kitchen. "You got anything in the kitchen?"

"Yes, I do!" Cornelius wasn't afraid to admit it. The last time he had a guest was the year before. He wandered into the kitchen and took out a slab of meat from one of the tables.

Cato's spirits lifted immediately. It was so good to be in the luxury of someone's home. True, Cornelius' home could not replace the feeling he had with his old home. He felt a small amount of guilt for what happened to his family. He wished he could have said goodbye on the right terms. His family were slaughtered probably thinking their father was an evil man. Especially his wife, Acacia.

"Here's some meat," Cornelius said, tossing the meat into Cato's hands. "It's not fresh, but-" He trailed off upon seeing Cato munch down the meat. "All right."

Cornelius leaned against the kitchen counter, holding onto a glass of water. "It's good being single, you know?"

"You've been single for ten years, Cornelius." Cato gulped down the last bite of the meat.

"So," Cornelius said, sighing loudly. "It doesn't mean I haven't been with a woman in that time. Hell, I used to get a woman each day from the tavern."

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" He didn't bother waiting for a reply, seeing Cornelius' frown.

Cornelius dumped down the water into the sink, walking back into the room. "You can never trust water these days."

Cato nodded. "Tell me about it. I used to live next to an aqueduct. The water you would think, would be fresh... but it wasn't..."

Cornelius chuckled. "Yeah, I remember your home. It's unfortunate what happened..."

"Let's stop talking about it, okay? It happened... Nothing I could do about it..."

"Why weren't you in the house?" Cornelius asked.

"Long story."

"Oh," Cornelius said in a low voice. "I'm guessing you don't want to talk about it."

Cato held his gaze at Cornelius. "You guessed right." Cornelius stared at the wall. When he realized his friend was stumped, he added, "Anything in the news?"

"Yes." Then Cornelius quickly said, "There was a couple that escaped execution on the day of Pertinax's assassination. Isn't that weird?"

There was a brief silence.

"So," Cornelius said, twilding his thumbs. "Uh-"

"What were the names of the couple?" Cato asked.

"I think it was Buffy and Xander," Cornelius said, grinning.

"No way." Cato shook his head.

"What is it? I know they have strange names-"

"That's the couple," Cato insisted. "The couple that I let come into my house."

"You're probably still feeling the effects of drinking," Cornelius advised. "Get some rest my friend."

"Listen, Cornelius," Cato said, standing to his feet. "I know those people!"

"Cato, like I said, get some sleep," Cornelius reminded him.

Cato exhaled sharply. "Fine, don't believe me."

He watched as Cato stomped away through the house.

Cornelius took a heavy breath. "I need to get some new friends," he muttered.


	13. Wooden Sword

March 29, 193 A.D. Gerasa

Xander and Cimberius rode slowly into the city, a society of dirty, smelly men roaming the streets. Some of the men staggered aimlessly at the side of the marble road, extending their hands out at the newcomers, hoping to get anything special in their hands. A few hundred yards from the entrance gate, where Xander and Cimberius entered, a young man rode on horseback towards them. The man looked like he was in his late forties. He had a strong presence, his back was straight and his head held high.

The approaching man's dark piercing eyes deceived Xander and Cimberius into a more unwelcome appearance. In fact, even Xander knew it was probably a member of the army who took interest in them. A small, slender man stood a bit a part from the visitors. Another tiny figure stood determinedly at their side, his hand cradled out in front of them. Seeing the men beside them, Xander tried to relax. He was still alive and had made it to night. It was a good relief.

It took the beggars a couple of minutes before noticing the soldier ride to the visitors and upon seeing him, they quickly dispersed into the night. Xander finally sighed. In some ways, the beggars at the entrance to the city annoyed him. If the men were children, he would have thought differently. In this case, with grown men wanting money or food, he could not stand their laziness. He was going into the city, to join the army reluctantly, and the beggars looked like they were in better shape than he was. He couldn't understand why they didn't join the army.

As the man approached them, the man wailed out a greeting. Xander looked up and smiled at the sight of a big soldier nodding his head with a broad grin. The streets were now empty and the beggar's feet running across the dirt were the only desolate sounds. The man scurried his horse quickly to meet them, pausing long enough to nod at a stray bystander who decided to watch, then said to them, "Welcome to Gerasa, a province founded by the Semites!"

The man's horse lowered itself to the ground at his order, and he patted its mane gently as he dismounted. His eyes caught sight of Cimberius and they lit up. "Cimberius... well I'll be damned..." He embraced the ex-praetorian guard, whispering into his ear, "It's an amazing pleasure to see you again old friend! Where's your Praetorian Guard buddies? More importantly... why are you here?"

Cimberius hopped off his horse. Xander watched curiously as the men conversed in a lengthy conversation. He learned from Cimberius that his friend's name was Silanus and that they once were partners in the war against the Sarmatians, tracking down barbarians and slaughtering them and their families. Xander frowned at how they recalled them as good memories.

"Yes, I remember brother... that night when we caught that rebel who ran until he got tired. Once we got our hands on him, we interrogated and tortured the son of a bitch until we, ourselves, got tired. Then we beheaded the fucker and tossed his head into his own home!"

Xander shifted uncomfortably on his horse, and Cimberius turned his head to Xander, saying in a soft voice, "It was all him."

Silanus laughed. "Oh, Cimberius! You were the one who decided on the torture! Don't you remember?"

Cimberius suppressed a smirk, while Xander stared at his friend, confused. Xander obviously noticed Cimberius' uneasiness and regret. He could hardly argue that what Silanus was telling Cimberius wasn't the truth. Cimberius, after all, had told him earlier in the day that he "butchered" the Sarmatians. It wasn't the facts that more concerned Xander, but it was Cimberius' refusal to accept what he's done. It was the torture in him that caught his attention.

Cimberius rubbed his hand along his back. "I suppose I do. You have to admit though... it was war... and war causes us to do crazy things. That incident would have never happened if it was during peace time. I am not like that..."

Silanus shrugged. "I guess you're right. You are a noble man. As for me though, even today, I would not hesitate to gut those Sarmatians. They just wouldn't stop attacking us!"

"That's what happens when we invade them," Cimberius replied.

Xander shivered, unable to hear more of the war discussion. He dismounted from his horse slowly, his brown hair flowing over his forehead. He walked to the men and stood beside them. "Good evening, Silanus," his tired voice greeted the soldier.

Cimberius smiled as he turned to Xander. "This is my friend..."

Xander yawned and shook the soldier's hand. "My name is Xander. Nice to meet you."

"Xander... what kind of name is that?" Silanus' voice was cold, but Xander knew his response wasn't purposely meant to be rude. Rather, it was ignorance that he would probably have if some foreigner had a weird name. Noticing the men's disapproving looks, Silanus shook his head and continued, "Forgive me, my brothers. I am in a foul mood. My wife is at a friend's house, and her friend is a man. I'm thinking there is some more adultery going around in this city."

Based on what Xander recollected from the scaffold days before, one of the first men to be named to be hung was a man from Gerasa. His name was Briseis, and was going to be hung because of adultery. Xander leaned forward to Silanus, asking intently, "Do you remember a Briseis?"

Silanus sighed. "I was afraid some newcomer would mention that bastard's name. That is all that we are known for, isn't it? Men screwing other's peoples' wives!"

Cimberius gave Xander an odd look. "How the hell do you..." he began, then nodded. He realized that when Xander was at the scaffold to save Buffy, that man must have been hung at the same time. But even as this knowledge came full circle to him, he was amazed at how Xander could remember such a small detail. He walked around Xander and Silanus, running his fingers through his light blond hair. "Well, he only knows that because he witnessed the execution. Gerasa is known for more important things... such as training."

Silanus didn't speak right away. His eyes were on Xander's in frustration. "I hope so. You're not an adulterer, are you young man?"

His words startled Xander. "What? No!"

Cimberius grimaced. "Of course he is not an adulterer. He is here to train... to become a soldier."

"What of you my brother?" Silanus inquired.

"I am too," Cimberius reluctantly admitted. "I think you can agree with me that it has been far too long since I have joined the army."

"You are a former Praetorian Guard member," Silanus laughed. "No offense but even the best of warriors... once they get into the Praetorian Guard, they can never come back to being the same warrior they once were..."

"I'm different," Cimberius countered. He stood back against his horse, looking calm and collected.

Silanus swallowed hard, fighting to maintain his composure. He shook his head, trying to focus before his temper burst out. He glanced at Xander. "You will never be a soldier. I can tell."

Xander was caught off guard. He wasn't ready to hear that, not already. Not after all the scuffles he has been involved in. "Silanus, I really think you shouldn't judge a book by its cover," Xander said, checking his horse to make sure his sword was latched onto it.

Cimberius looked at his friend, startled by his boldness.

Silanus rolled his eyes. "I'm not sure if this man could make it through an hour of training, let alone a sword fight." He looked at Cimberius, asking, "What do you think, Cimberius? You think this man has what it takes?"

Dead silence from his friend. Concerned, Silanus glanced at Xander, to find him sharing the same blank expression. He started to protest, but Cimberius shook his head at his longtime friend.

"You don't know the half of it, Silanus. We are guests in the city and we expect to be treated like ones. Xander and I won't let your sexual frustration hurt our time here..." Xander nodded, his eyes staring deep into Silanus.

The soldier merely stared back at Xander patiently. Then his eyes shifted back to his friend, and his expression softened. Cimberius spoke directly to him and he heard the question, "When does training begin?"

"It has already begun. I can get you both enlisted for tomorrow, however," Silanus answered calmly. And then, he looked behind him, to see the lighted army camp in the distance. He closed his eyes, realizing he would have to do some additional work for the army. "Follow me... I'll let you and your friend stay at my home for tonight," he said softly, opening his eyes.

Some of the tension inside Xander slipped from him after Silanus' words. "I was afraid I'd get into another fight..."

Silanus didn't answer, and Cimberius hugged his military friend again. "You are a good man, Silanus. I appreciate your hospitality."

Silanus laughed. "It's the least I can do." He looked at his old friend for a long moment, then whispered, "I thought you would be with the Praetorian Guard for the rest of your life. I never would have thought I'd see you again."

"The Praetorian Guard isn't a bad life," Cimberius said. "But I miss the army..."

Xander looked at Silanus and Cimberius' sad faces and asked, "You guys done with the touchy-feeling crap? It's getting cold..." Both of the soldiers responded with a glare. Xander's eyes widened. "Hey... 1st amendment rights here."

Silanus glanced at Cimberius with a dubious look on his face. "What is he talking about?"

Cimberius looked at Xander, trying to figure out what he was saying. He could not recall any 1st amendment rights. "Don't mind him, the trip was long... it made him slightly delirious." Xander frowned. Cimberius put his arms around his friend's shoulders and continued, "You know... you can always find another woman. There's plenty of them."

Xander watched the soldiers walk their horses down the street. He folded his arms over his chest and looked at his horse. "I bet you wish you were at Cato's, huh?"

The horse shook its head, trying to wake itself up, as it looked at Xander.

"No? Wow." Xander nodded sheepishly. Then he took his horse to follow Cimberius and Silanus. As they headed toward the soldiers, he added softly, "I'll make sure you get something to eat too. You've been through a rough time, haven't you?" The horse still stared at Xander. "Yeah, so have I. But life carries on..." he sighed. "Life carries on."

It was early morning, a cold March day with a breeze blowing in through the windows of Silanus' home. As he had been the past two mornings, Xander was awake and alert by the time the sun came up. As much as he hoped to avoid drinking the night before, he couldn't deny the pleasure drinking gave to him.

The drinking got his misery away from his departure from Buffy. Looking back the day before, he could see now that he had made a foolish mistake. He witnessed the girl of his dreams mutter the words, "I love you" many times and he in denial, wondered if she was telling the truth. She loved him. More than likely, she did.

"The look on her eyes," he thought to himself. "The way she kissed me."

As he thought of Buffy, his eyes strayed toward the armor and sword he placed next to the bed. He found himself walking in that direction, stopping next to the weaponry. He took a courage-building breath, preparing to put on the armor to face a vigorous training.

It stunned him to see the weapons laid right in front of him. This was what the time travel had brought him to, and yet, he didn't regret going back in time, away from Sunnydale. Xander wondered if he would have ever been in a sexual relationship with Buffy if he and Buffy remained in Sunnydale. He felt it was unnecessary now to look at the past and the what if's. "What happened, is already done with," he thought.

His body was exhausted, along with his mind, and slowly, Xander slumped to the ground. Within minutes, Cimberius surrounded his friend, glaring at him. Xander felt Cimberius' eyes on him and he turned his back on his friend. Cimberius put a protective arm around his shoulder, asking Xander with a curious glance if he was alright.

Xander came back to his senses with a gasp. "Yes," he murmured. The morning was eerily silent, and Xander looked at Cimberius. The ex-Praetorian Guard member was on his knees, looking at him.

Cimberius helped his friend to his feet, then looked around at all the empty cups lying on the floor. "I told you we shouldn't of drank so much."

There was no emotion in Xander's eyes at that moment, only anger and regret that began to develop once he realized that the drinking had impaired most of his senses. He didn't like it one bit. Whatever worries he had earlier about entering training, it had doubled because of the drinking he did the day before. In fact, he was feeling more dizzy than the night before, and as far as he concerned, he was in a hangover.

"Are you sure you're ready to go with the training today?" Cimberius asked.

"Yes, Cimberius. I'm fine." He was committed now to go to the training, and there was no backing out. He said with a broad smile, "How many soldiers are not drunk when they fight anyway?"

Cimberius saw his friend stagger around the room, apparently searching for his weapons. He stared at Xander in shock for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Oh, Xander. Forgot where your weapons are my friend?"

"No I know where it is!" Xander cried out.

Cimberius didn't hesitate. He slipped his arm under Xander's shoulders and dragged him onto the bed nearby. Xander looked embarrassed and Cimberius could actually see the sides of his cheeks turning red.

"I'm sorry, Cimberius. I should've been prepared today."

Under normal circumstances, Cimberius would have fired back with anger. But he had participated in the binge drinking as well. The only reason why he was not as bewildered as Xander was that he was used to drinking. As he drank in the Praetorian Guard each night, he had built an immunity for any drink and the agonies it brought the day after.

He tried to decide whether or not to bring Xander to training. Xander, even if he had all of his senses, was still a train wreck waiting to happen. He had taken a turn for the worst emotionally and physically after leaving Buffy and he felt it would be a serious effect to him in training. Then again, it would make him for a long period, adjust and wipe out Buffy from his pain.

Silanus stepped closer to the door to Xander's room. He stuck his head through the opening and peered at Cimberius standing next to Xander, who was lying on the bed. "I guess he's not doing so well, eh?" There was no smile on Silanus' face, but there was an unmistakable gleam of pleasure in his eyes.

"Of course..." Cimberius agreed through clenched teeth. "I'll have to wait a couple more hours before we go to the camp." Turning, he started out of the room, his pace moving determinedly towards the door Silanus stood next to.

Silanus cast Cimberius a glance as he pushed his way past him. "What? You're just going to leave him there?"

Cimberius continued to walk down the hallway, forcing Silanus to step back from the room and watch him go down the stairs. Silanus smiled, but said nothing, wisely, as it seemed. He followed Cimberius' steps through the hallway.

Xander was hoping for the aches and pain in his skull to deteriorate. Of course, he didn't get it, for as soon as he laid his head back onto the pillow, the throbbing accelerated. Xander winced, barely able to withstand the pain that drinking had brought him. It was embarrassing, that he felt so amateur after drinking, especially with the experience after leaving Anya at the altar. However, he wouldn't take responsibility for being woozy. There were so many worries inside him about Buffy, training, and more that also contributed to the drinking.

It was pleasant to know that drinking could get him away from those thoughts. The problem was that it only took them away for one night. So strange, how it can be a great diversion, yet, also be a contributor to one's pain. Somewhere in his drunken mind, he thought about Buffy. Didn't know why that was the first thing to come to mind, since he wanted to forget about Buffy, not relish and daydream his fantasies about her.

She slipped her hands around the back of his neck, her index finger tickling his neck. It was amazing how Xander's image of her brought all five senses to him. The feel of her finger brushing against his lips. The cold air brushing through her, moving her blond locks rhythmically to the wind. She wanted to kiss him. He wanted to kiss her.

He tried to tell himself in his thoughts that she did not love him, that she was just saying that as a friend. He wanted to find every reason available to how it wasn't true, but he failed to take in one thing into account. The most important thing. The look in her eyes. It was not the loving friendship look, but the radiant, "I want to fuck you" look.

Growing impatient with Xander's contemplation, Buffy cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. After a few seconds passed, she broke off the kiss with a groan.

He looked up at her to find her frowning. "Buff, what's wrong?" Now Xander could see a tortured look in her eyes.

"You left me, Xander," she explained. "I gave you my heart, but you left me..."

Then there was no more room for regret, and Xander shook himself of the thought. He lifted his head up from the pillow, trying to take in the reality of the bedroom. "Where am I?" Xander thought, looking around. There was nothing but windows and tables. He spotted the armor and sword beside his bed. A chill ran down his spine. For a second, he wished he was still dreaming of Buffy, feeling the enormity of the weapons too hard to bear.

Xander blinked. He was no hero, like Buffy told him before. He was just Xander. He tried to take the sword from out of his view, but blinding pain exploded in his head. "Ah!" he yelled. He sank violently onto the bed, covering his head with his hands. "Stop hurting!"

A soft kiss across his lips broke through his terror. It was Buffy. Of course. She was the only person that could make him get sleep. It relieved his pain a little. As long as she did not remind him what he did. Running away from her. Like he did with Anya.

Xander was asleep, peacefully dreaming. He could see Buffy's expression the day he removed the blindfold from her eyes underneath the scaffold. She was smiling. He could tell that her smile showed no sign of a nightmare.

The door to his room creaked open. "Xander?" Dressed in his armor and holding onto his long metallic sword, Cimberius crept into the chamber.

Xander didn't bother to wake, because he was involved in a pleasant dream with the slayer. He was at Sunnydale, in his home. Buffy was lying beside him in his bed. She was wearing her pajamas and tanktop, and he could feel her snuggling up against him. She smelled of lovely perfume and the smell, coupled with the sensation of her body with his, felt intoxicating.

Ignoring Xander's feeling of ecstacy in sleep, Cimberius cast a glance out the window. It was not morning anymore. The training camp would be over anytime, as soon as the sun went down. He wanted to make sure he enlisted himself and Xander before training would end. Accepting the dreadful task of waking his friend, he shook Xander.

Xander moaned as he awoke in a flash. Cimberius stood by his side, giving him a regretful look.

"I am sorry for waking you, Xander," Cimberius apologized. Xander adjusted himself until he was leaning his back against the bedframe, and gave Cimberius a frown. Cimberius continued, almost sadly, "We need to make an appearance today at the camp. It may be odd to hear, but the sign-ups for enlistment is at it's last day."

"Please, Cimberius. You've waken me up enough... let me sleep."

Cimberius tried to remain optimistic that his friend would do what he wanted, but he felt it hard to believe that he would. "Xander, you've slept all day. I'm sure the hangover is gone by now..."

Xander put a hand on his forehead, and straightened a bit on the bed. He swayed a little, appearing a little light-headed. "Are we just signing up?"

Cimberius' face brightened. "Yes, we are," he said firmly. He realized that he had no choice but to lie to Xander to make him go along with him. "We're just showing ourselves and signing our names."

Xander smiled. "Good... I think I can walk..." He got to the side of the bed and slowly stood up. Then he began to gently suit himself with the armor. "I'll just put this on, just in case someone tries to stab me in the streets."

Cimberius made no comment. He had just lied to Xander. Before he had coerced him into seeking revenge and brought him away from the girl he loved. He hoped he could repay Xander for all the things he's done to him.

Pulling the armor through his neck, it slid perfectly over his chest. "Do I need a sword?"

Cimberius nodded. It was too late for him to go back from his lie. "You are a good man, Xander. I hope you won't get ill like this again," he said gently. He exposed his long sword, holding it out in front of him.

Xander stared at Cimberius. "Are you sure we're just signing up?"

Cimberius held his sword in the air, admiring its beauty. He glanced at Xander. He tried to make his voice sound convincing. "Yes, we are."

"I see you like your sword," Xander stated.

"This will be your best friend in the upcoming weeks..." Cimberius said. He caught Xander's sour look. "Aside from me of course..."

Xander grasped his sword. "You mean this piece of crap?" He flicked a glance at Cimberius, who seemed more upset than angry. "Don't tell me we have to name these, do we?"

"No," Cimberius promised. "Unless you've been in war for many years, most people don't have that much of a liking for their swords."

Xander shook his head. "I thought people in this age did that. You know... like Hrunting? Beowulf's sword?"

"I think you are still in recovery from drinking."

"You're probably right," Xander said, playing along. He was surprised that Beowulf wasn't written yet. He knew he must have been really far back in time. The first novel had not even been made.

Xander swung his sword childishly, his pulse beating with excitement. All he had to do for the day was enlist into training. Soon he would be back on the bed, sleeping.

Cimberius' blood ran cold. While he felt comfortable at the moment lying to his friend, he knew in less than an hour, Xander would be wanting him dead. He would have to play a naive part for the lie he made, saying he did not know that they needed to see their skills. Although it would be easy to be naive for the situation, Cimberius doubted Xander would believe him, considering Xander knew he had signed up earlier in the army for training.

"So... what are we waiting for? Let's get it done."

Cimberius inclined in his head in acknowledgment. He understood his lie would catch up with him. It was not meant to be cruel on his part. There was no way he could bring Xander to sign up that day without telling him a lie. The only truth he gave to Xander was that it was the last day of sign-ups.

"Cimberius? You want me to lead? I have a feeling I will not get to the camp..." Xander began.

"No, it's okay. Come on."

Cimberius left the room and headed into the hallway, his body shaking nervously from the lie he gave Xander. If Xander took his lie the wrong way, he could decide to go back to Buffy. Then it would cause a chain reaction of death. Buffy and Xander would be captured and executed, and so would him and his grandfather for harboring the criminals.

Cimberius cursed at his pessimism. Perhaps Xander would be happy about the surprise. The training would only last until sundown, which was less than an hour.

They walked through the streets of Gerasa, carrying only a sword in their hands. At the insistence of Xander, they left both of Cato's horses at Silanus'. Xander didn't trust the village, and couldn't get past the notion that the horses would not be stolen. It was the same feeling he had when Cato and him left the same horses in the city of Rome.

There was an underlying reason to keep the horses in good hands. He wanted to get the horses back to Cato. It could hardly hurt to give back something to Cato. He had lost everything. Returning his horses would be the perfect gift.

Xander walked alongside Cimberius, quietly chatting with him.

"I thought this camp was nearby..."

Cimberius answered him with a small smile. "It's not too far. I think the armor you are wearing makes the trip longer than it seems."

"Thanks to you," Xander said.

As both of them headed to the camp, Cimberius could see the sun going down into the mountains. "It'll be dark in no time."

Xander looked at the sun briefly, saying hoarsely, "Damn... I'd do anything to sleep right now."

There was a bitterness in his friend's voice. Cimberius knew when Xander would find out he would have to do a skills test, he would be in a fouler mood. He asked slowly, "Why is it... when you desperately need sleep... and you get it... you feel more tired than you did before?"

Xander turned to look at Cimberius and laughed. "My thoughts exactly. I always feel like I want to sleep, but I know if I do, then I will feel more tired. Unfortunately, it's been piling up. I'm like a walking zombie right now..."

Both Xander and Cimberius fell silent for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts. After a moment, Cimberius decided to ask something else. He looked Xander in the eyes. "Xander... Can you tell me how you did it...? How you saved that girl from her hanging?"

Xander's eyes lit up. He said softly, "Buffy... Well it was all a blur really... I just did what I had to do."

"Good lord," Cimberius breathed, and then shook his head, muttering. "There were hundreds of people there. To get away with that is astonishing. That is why I never bought into the Praetorian Guard calling you a 'fool.' I don't think a 'fool' would save a girl in those kind of conditions."

Xander looked away, remembering the terrible time of having to save Buffy, but Cimberius wasn't done.

Cimberius spoke urgently and passionately. "People don't get enough respect for the things they do in this world. I remember Pertinax... he was a good Emperor... I saw the look in his eyes before he was butchered... There was fright... but more importantly, there was a stunned look, that I have never seen before." He glanced at his friend. "It scared me, Xander... I was about to say something to Pulcher to stop him, but it was too late. Pertinax didn't know why he was going to get killed. He thought he was a good Emperor. I didn't want a man like that dying without him knowing the reason why."

Xander sighed. "He was a good man. He spared me... which is pretty courageous, considering everyone else wanted to decapitate me."

They were both silent for a long moment, then Cimberius told his friend. "That was the reason. The reason I left the Praetorian Guard. We were shocking the Roman civilians... taking their lives without them prepared for it. We were the secret police."

Xander understood his friend's intentions. Cimberius loved his empire. He was the man that Xander most wanted to be like. He had the courage to be different and brave in difficult times. Cimberius was even a compassionate soldier. Sometimes.

"I get what you're saying, Cimberius. I'm just wondering though... what were you thinking when you killed Acacia, right in front of her daughter? Did you know she was a good woman as well?"

Cimberius looked at Xander, surprised that Xander would bring up the incident. His heart began to pound. "It was a mistake..."

Xander paused to take a deep breath, then released it. "Look, I forgive you and all, Cimberius. But to say that you wanted to let Pertinax know why he was going to die, yet not telling Acacia is a little confusing."

Cimberius went on, his voice cracking, "I just acted impulsively. I wanted to make a big entrance."

Xander could see the uneasiness on Cimberius' face. Cimberius was carrying a lot of emotional baggage with him. Xander decided not to push the issue any further. He was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Will the army make me act impulsively?"

Cimberius gave a hopeless laugh. "Yes, it will. There is no room for compassion towards anybody. All you care about is what you have to do and yourself."

Xander lowered his eyes sadly. "Oh."

As the men entered the patch of land inside the surrounding camp, Xander was shocked at what he saw. Cimberius knew ahead of time what to prepare for, but he was caught off guard as well. What they saw was far more than they could handle. There were dead bodies littered all over the land.

Xander couldn't help but to input his opinion at the scene. "What is this? A concentration camp?"

"I'm sorry, Xander," Cimberius told him. He truly meant his apology. He was sorry for allowing his friend to bear witness to the consequences of becoming a soldier. Cimberius directed his friend to the corner of the camp, where a soldier sat at a table, waiting for recruits. "Follow."

Xander seemed not to hear what Cimberius said. His heart was beating out of his chest and a part of him felt sick to see and smell young men's gored bodies. He maneuvered through the dead bodies slowly, making sure his boots did not get any blood on them.

Around them, the training camp shook and jolted, and Xander realized it was the intense fighting of training that the men participated in. He saw some men stop their fighting to stare at he and Cimberius. He wasn't the only one that noticed the men.

"Wow! They're not happy to see us are they?" Cimberius asked nervously. He exchanged a look with Xander, who had the same frightened face.

"Hey, you! Men! Hurry up! The sun is coming down!" the man stationed at the table commanded.

Xander and Cimberius continued to walk slowly, determined to show their confidence to the countless soldiers whose eyes were fixated on them.

The man at the table was sitting with a quill in his hands, ready to dip it in dark ink. He sat between a bunch of guards and it was likely that there would be no way of having a private conversation. Xander and Cimberius were behaving like new inmates into a prison. If it wasn't for the armor and swords, they might have appeared to be like slaves.

Both of them still couldn't believe what was around the field, and either of them wanted now to be a part of the training.

"This many people get killed in training!" Xander whispered loudly into Cimberius' ear.

"Hey, I haven't been to training in ten years! I didn't know they got so violent!" he explained.

The man at the table looked up at them, showing traces of earlier anger when he called to them.

"Welcome to the Camp at Gerasa. I'm assuming you men came here to enlist," the man said. "Don't be frightened of the dead bodies around the camp. They are prisoners..."

"Prisoners?" Cimberius asked.

"We were sick of wooden targets," the man replied. "These slaves were not qualified as gladiators. So they were of no importance. We use them now as the targets."

"Targets?" Xander asked.

The man took a deep breath. "What are your names?" The man's eyes lit up. He stared wide-eyed at Xander's armor and the red plumes decorated on it. "You have prior military experience, huh? Defector or Discharged?"

Xander paused. "Uh..."

"Discharged," Cimberius whispered to him.

"I was discharged," Xander said.

"Okay..." the man began, looking at Cimberius. "And you... any military experience?" Cimberius shook his head. "All right." He lifted his quill and dipped it into the cup of ink. He then set the quill to the paper. "Names?"

With half a smile, Xander turned to look at Cimberius, wondering what he should put as his name. Cimberius nodded his head. Xander released his breath and glanced at the man. "Xander Harris."

"Xander Harris?"

Xander's eyebrows lifted. "Yeah? That's my name..."

"You sign your name." The man extended the paper he was holding to Xander and gave him the backside of the wet-inked quill. "It's funny. I often know many names, even foreign ones. Xander has never been used."

"Well it's short for Alexander," Xander said quietly.

Cimberius watched the tension strain from the man's body. "He's Greek," he added to the man.

"Oh, my!" the man said. He looked sharply behind him at the guards watching the display. "The man with the red plumes is Greek," he said in a voice a little more than a whisper.

Xander didn't know if having a Greek name was a bad thing or not in Rome. He wanted to know beforehand if it was. He didn't want to be unpleasantly surprised again.

"Is being Greek good?" he asked Cimberius softly. "I mean... they don't hate me because I'm Greek?"

Cimberius shook his head slightly. "Greece is one of Rome's best provinces. It's a good thing."

"Wow..." the man said, turning in his chair to look at the new recruits. He was silent for a while, eyeing Xander in awe for a few minutes. "This camp must be well-known if it brings the Greeks."

"Yes it is," Xander said. He looked stunned, still holding onto the paper and quill.

"You going to sign your name?" the man asked briskly.

Xander broke himself out of his reverie. "Oh... yes." He took the quill and dabbed his name into the long list of recruits. There were many names on the list and Xander took a minute to scan through the names, hoping to find Cato. It made sense to him that if Cato's family was murdered, he would join the army.

The man cleared his throat, then reached out to grab the paper and quill. His hand didn't get far. He found his wrist being locked by Cimberius. Startled, his eyes flew at the ex-Praetorian Guard member.

"Let me save you some time," Cimberius said. The man nodded warily and Cimberius took the paper from Xander's hands. Once he received the quill from Xander, he wrote his name on the list. He looked back at the man and gave it to him.

The man gazed at Cimberius' freshly written name on the paper. He looked up. "Cimberius? 'The' Cimberius?"

Cimberius expelled a sigh, his breath a visible cloud in the chill. "Yes," he said. "Cimberius Pompeius."

The man nodded, a smile spreading across his lips. "You sold us out for the Praetorian Guard. What makes you come back?" He crossed his arms across his chest.

"A lot of reasons." Cimberius forced a smile and looked at Xander, then at the man. "Less work, higher pay."

The man replied with a sigh, falling back into his chair. "People don't join the army for money. You left for the money and I don't forgive you. No one here forgives you." He glanced behind at the guards staring angrily at Cimberius and smiled.

Cimberius seemed reluctant to agree with the present situation, his eyes shifting off each of the men's disapproving faces. "That was many years ago. You guys shouldn't hold grudges."

The man looked up for a moment, then back at the guards around him. "That was last year, Cimberius." The guards nodded in unison.

Cimberius opened his mouth to say something to make the men happy, but nothing came to mind. He remained speechless for a few seconds before clearing his throat. "It's in the past. I came here for redemption."

The man chuckled, placing the enlistment chart on the far corner of the desk. "You're going to get more than redemption here. I think you'll get something more on the lines of 'getting your ass kicked'."

"So much for winning them over," Cimberius thought. The anger by the men for his departure hurt more than he had expected it to. Once again, he felt as if he was a traitor to his own country. He hung his head in shame, trying to absorb all the frustration he had caused.

Xander waited a moment before speaking. "I realize he made a mistake. But at least he came back... You should cut him some slack for doing that."

"Oh, we're going to cut him!" the man exclaimed. Everybody except Xander gave Cimberius an evil look, and Cimberius' eyes welled up. Realizing that he was in trouble, he began to walk backwards towards the exit to the camp. The guards followed him menacingly.

"Hey! He came for redemption, damn it!" Xander cried to the man, and all the guards stopped.

"So," the man said. "We're not going to let a defection go un-punished."

"I'm glad I didn't tell him I was a defector," Xander thought. Xander remained silent as he glanced at his frightened friend, who was ten feet away from him.

All were standing silently, except for the man, who shouted orders to other soldiers around the camp. After a moment, there were at least twenty men surrounding Cimberius. Cimberius tried to run to the exit but he was met by a wall of bulked men. He blinked, looking into the men's eyes. "What are you going to do to me?"

"It's a surprise!" the man's voice called from the table. "Men! Beat this bastard!"

There was a slight pause, followed by a deafening punch and a yell from Cimberius.

Everyone around the camp seemed to stop what they were doing. The swords connecting, the groans from men fighting; all ceased. Some laughter could be heard through the masses, along with the sound of running feet from men who wanted to get in on the action.

"Anyway..." the man began nonchalantly to Xander. "Shall you participate in the skills test?"

Xander, who was trembling, slowly turned to look at the mauling of his friend. He could hear a barely audible shriek from the pile. Every soldier seemed to be landing a punch or two on Cimberius. His friend had to be struggling to keep his consciousness. "You better not kill him..."

The man nodded. "He won't die. It's just a welcome we give to defectors. At most, he'll have a black eye."

Noticing the severe hits the men were getting at Cimberius, he shook his head. "Don't you see what they're doing! They're beating him to death! Stop it!"

The man watched intently at the beating the men were giving Cimberius. The Greek was right, he thought to himself. He heaved a heavy sigh. "All right. Men, let the defector be!"

Cimberius laid wearily on the ground, a mix of shock, anger, and mild happiness running through his body. He stared at the sky for a moment, expecting some more fists to come pouring down onto him. Examining the blue sky above, he wondered if he was alive or dead. To his happiness, he could still feel the cuts and bruises stinging on his face. He was alive.

"Get up," a hoarse tone told Cimberius. He didn't move. "Get the fuck up, Cimberius! You don't want me to continue pummeling your ass."

Xander looked sympathetically at his friend. He was about to say something when Cimberius finally obeyed the man's order, climbing to his feet.

"So, Cimberius! Welcome to Training! We missed you, my friend!" the man exclaimed.

Cimberius stood on his feet, looking totaled and bloody, as though he'd been in a cage fight. He wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve.

"Yeah 'at most a black eye'," Xander said sadly.

"I'm not the one who was beating him. Blame the soldiers." The man forced a smile.

Cimberius just stood staring blankly at both Xander and the unidentified man. Suddenly his knees gave way and he fell to the ground. Xander bolted towards his friend and lifted him into his arms seconds after he collided with the ground. Looking over his beaten friend, Xander noticed his pants were torn to threads and there were numerous cuts visible on his legs. It was bleeding continuously.

Xander stared at his friend for a moment, then broke into silent tears. "I'm sorry for not helping you-"

"Don't worry, Xander. I've been through worse. I just need to rest..." Cimberius began.

Just then, the two bodyguards to the recruiter circled the two, crowding them.

Cimberius pointed to the men behind Xander, but Xander was looking at his wounds. Once Xander spotted his finger, he immediately turned and felt a stiff punch fly across his face. He hit the ground hard on his armor with a metallic thud.

"Cimberius... go home. You've passed your skills examination," one of the guards informed the wounded man. The guard glanced at Xander. "He still needs to take his."

"He is not a defector, remember that!" Cimberius shot back. "He was discharged."

Both of the guards laughed. "Don't worry, he won't get a beating. Unless he doesn't know how to fight," the same guard replied, then turned to Xander. "Come on, boy... I didn't hit you too hard."

Xander gasped, his hands forcefully pushing hard against the muddy ground, attempting to stand. The other guard, acting instinctively to Xander's movement, stepped between him and Cimberius. He turned his back on Xander, and clutched onto Cimberius. Cimberius cried in pain as the guard grasped onto his body and carried him towards the exit.

Xander had no idea how he was still conscious. Did his stay in Rome make him more tougher? He didn't know... nor did he know what was in store for him with the skills examination. Xander tried to talk, and felt the repercussions of the punch in his throat. "You're not going to beat me, are you?"

The lone guard didn't answer. He just dropped to his knees and drew Xander's limp body to his feet. Xander's body convulsed in his arms, as he fought to draw air in his hurt lungs. In his dizzying state, he could hear Cimberius yelling in the background. Then he heard another voice. The man at the table.

Xander tried to force words around the lump in his throat. Tried to ask them what they were doing with Cimberius. But the words never came.

The man smiled weakly at him. "I'm surprised you're still conscious. Duratius knocks out anyone he hits."

Xander felt big, strong hands on his shoulders. It was Duratius. "Come on, boy. Follow me to the skills test," he whispered. He let go of his grip on Xander and watched Xander attempt to say something. He mouthed, "Cimberius." Duratius lip-read what he said and shook his head angrily. "Don't worry about him. Didn't you hear what he told you before!"

Xander looked at the guard through the slits of his half-closed eyes and nodded a little.

"Be sure not to be too hard on the poor fellow." The man smirked at Xander as he headed back to the table, showing both the men his back.

Xander let the guard drag him away, not getting angry like he would in most situations, but instead helping the man's cause by limping across the field.

Xander stared at the guard for a moment wondering what he would do to him. They continued to walk into the middle of the field, where action started to pick up, and the guard asked him if he was all right. Xander replied, "Never been better."

The guard blinked and looked at Xander, knowing what he said was sarcasm. He quickly made his way to an individual section, roped off from the rest of the camp. He turned to see the other guard making his approach back into the camp. "Gobannitio! Get his sword!"

Gobannitio rushed his way in the field, looking around for where the sword might be, hoping he would find it as soon as possible. He sighed in relief when he saw it lying next to the table. "I found it!"

Shutting his eyes and letting a cold tear slide down his cheek, Xander thought sadly, "This is not my day..." He opened his eyes and stared up at the moon, the cold March wind causing him to shiver slightly. It was not night yet, but it was soon approaching sundown. He turned as he heard footsteps approaching the roped off area, scared that he might be the next victim of an ambush. Instead he caught the butt edge of the sword Cimberius had gave him.

Xander bit back his need to curse at the pain the catch gave him. He was certain that he was not in any position to use a sword or fight for that matter. He turned to look inside the roped area and was shocked to see that Duratius was inside the roped area, holding onto a sword of his own.

Duratius waited patiently for Xander to gather his senses, a slight smile on his lips as he stood in the mud.

Xander wasn't sure what was going to happen. Things were going on far too quickly than he wanted them to. The air brushed heavily against his skin as he tried to avoid the man's hungry eyes. If he looked again deeply into Duratius' fiery eyes, he would be afraid to take another step closer. All he could feel was the tightening in his chest and the weight of the air blowing around him.

"Get in there!" Gobannitio finally said. "Fight!"

Xander shook his head, his brown eyes rising to see Gobannitio's. "No. I'm not ready."

Gobannitio continued to play mean as he spoke back. "I don't give a damn if you're ready or not. Just get in there and show Duratius what you have. You are-"

Gobannitio was cut off by another voice. A slightly angrier one. "Goban, can I speak with you?"

A blush crossed Gobannitio's cheeks from hearing the voice.

It was Silanus.

Silanus grinned, waving his hand in the air. "It's a cold day... full of cold people." He then stopped as he looked at Xander. He could see the fighter's gleam in Xander's eyes.

With a bit of effort, Xander managed to thank the soldier.

"Hey, Xander, it's okay. You don't have to thank me," Silanus assured him with a small smile. He glared at Duratius in the background, then at Gobannitio. "Soldiers aren't supposed to be this cold-blooded."

Gobannitio became silent. He had the feeling that he had crossed the line. Rather than dwell on the matter, he tried to change the subject.

"Hey it's supposed to get dark pretty soon, isn't it?"

Silanus studied Gobannitio closely. "You... really like pissing off every newcomer, don't you?"

Gobannitio looked away, with a still look on his eyes. "No."

"Why do you like bothering and getting involved with whatever we do, Silanus!" Duratius exclaimed from the distance.

Silanus' eyes shot open, staring hard at his comrade. "Because I know this fellow. He's a good man."

Duratius was stunned. "You know this man?"

Smiling a bit, Silanus stretched his arms out. "Yes, I had a couple of drinks with him."

When Xander first met Silanus, he was not thrilled about who he was. The night of drinking however changed Silanus' opinion of him. Even though he drank with Silanus the night before, Xander did not expect him to get his back in a situation like this.

Duratius thought for a second. "So..."

"Don't worry my friend," Silanus whispered to Xander, winking at him. He then raised his voice to call to Duratius. "Use wooden swords for the combat. He is too valuable to be lost in a training accident!"

That was enough to sway Duratius. "All right." He tossed his metal sword onto the ground and walked over to a nearby weapons stash.

Silanus leaned forward to the shaken Xander. "Attack his left side. He is vulnerable there."

Xander heaved a sigh. "Why do I have to do this?"

Silanus narrowed his eyes. "They don't want to train people with no experience. All you have to do is show him you know how to use a sword."

Xander nodded, not willing to back down from a fight of wooden swords.

"So how do I prove myself worthy? Do I have to hit him the right amount of times?"

Silanus smiled gently. He had only known Xander for less than a day but he seemed like he had known him all his life. One thing that Silanus knew was Xander had the right amount of innocence and boldness needed for a soldier.

"He'll stop the fight, once he deems you are qualified."

Xander didn't need to worry about that. He was confident he would show the man his skills. "Okay... so his left side?"

"Yes." Silanus stepped a little closer to Xander. "I'm surprised you came."

"Well I was told by Cimberius we would just be signing up..." Xander exhaled at Cimberius' mistrust of him. He recalled Cimberius telling him they would come to the camp just to enlist. Cimberius had to know that training was involved.

Silanus sighed. "Cimberius wanted you to come, that's all. It was the last day of sign-ups for Christ's sake anyway. You had to sign up today."

"Yeah, but he didn't say anything about an examination!" Xander said, pacing around the grass, all the while, not looking at Silanus. He slowly handed the sword in his hands to Silanus. "Give this back to Cimberius."

Gobannitio walked out in front of Silanus and handed Xander a wooden sword. Right before he was about to walk away, Silanus grabbed him by the wrist. "What?"

"You wait here for a second..." Silanus told him. He narrowed his eyes at Xander. "Where is Cimberius?"

Xander looked at Gobannitio, his face darkening. His eyes seemed more distant and consumed than before, and Silanus could see that in his eyes. "He dragged him out. After he and a bunch of others beat him..."

Silanus' eyes widened at Xander's statement. He had the feeling that was what happened to his old friend.

"Silanus... We just followed Ariovistus' orders!" Gobannitio insisted.

Silanus' grip on Gobannitio's wrist tightened, and he started to lose his patience. "Is Cimberius alive?"

Gobannitio piped up. "Yes!"

A happy smile replaced Xander's sad one. That was the luck he had received with Silanus coming in. Without him, he'd be lying on the ground, bleeding from a sword wound.

"I want you out of my sight, Goban. I swear if you do this again... I'll kill you."

Gobannitio was shocked. "What?"

"You heard me," Silanus stated bluntly. "I don't know who you think you are... but beating up fresh recruits is not a part of our training program."Silanus looked at Duratius again. "Or using real swords."

Gobannitio became worried. "You won't spread this around to other people, will you?"

Silanus' eyes narrowed as he watched Gobannitio tremble with fear. He let go of his wrist and looked at Xander. While he did that, Gobannitio looked back and forth at Xander and him. His mind went wild when he realized he might be penalized severely for his actions. Not by the leaders of the military camp, but by the respectable soldiers, such as Silanus.

Before Gobannitio could try to plead his case, Silanus stepped back. His eyes softened at Gobannitio. "Next time... don't be so eager to follow Ariovistus' orders. You have to have a conscience when it comes to those who want to join the legion."

Gobannitio looked confused for a moment, but then smiled deeply when he realized that Silanus let him off the hook. He walked away, having a quick laugh.

All Xander could do at the moment was watch and let sweat drop down his head nervously. What should his mind set be going into combat with a formidable, strong foe? At that second, his senses kicked into gear as he eyed his opponent across the roped area.

Silanus sighed. "I don't know why I'm so merciful to pricks."

Xander felt himself blush from the amount of help Silanus had given him. "Um... well, uh... thanks."

Before Xander could say anything more, Silanus quickly walked inside the roped area and strolled beside Duratius to check if he was using the right wooden sword. Xander looked over at Silanus as if to question his involvement in the fight, but Xander knew with Silanus watching, he would be safe no matter what. So he hoped.

Silanus nodded, watching the wooden sword in Duratius' hands. "Okay, you are using the right sword."

"You don't want me to hurt him do you?" Duratius asked.

Silanus thought for a moment, looking over at Xander. Xander stood confidently, his body swaying and moving in a combat stance. He still had that fighter look in his eyes.

"No. Fight him like you would any other man."

"Are you sure...?" Duratius couldn't believe Silanus would let him use his full strength on one of his friends.

Silanus didn't need to convince himself otherwise. "Cimberius seemed to show to me that this man was a warrior. I want to see if what Cimberius implied is true."

"Yeah, well..." Duratius began, trying hard to not let his pride get to him. "I don't think it matters if he is a warrior or not. I'm going to beat him with his wooden sword."

Silanus looked over at Xander again, whom was beginning to approach his way closer to the pair. "Just don't kill him..."

"With the beating I'm about to give him... I don't know if he will get killed or not..." Even though Silanus seemed overprotective of his friend, Duratius was excited to fight and hopefully beat Xander to a bloody pulp.

Slowly, Silanus stepped back and raised his fist in the air. Once Xander and Duratius were a reasonable distance from each other, he dropped his fist.

Xander could have run away from the fight if he wanted to, but he couldn't deny the importance the combat was to his state of mind. He was interested if the time travel to Rome had truly helped him become a better fighter. With a goofy grin, he continued pacing towards Duratius, holding firmly to the small wooden sword in his hands.

Xander focused on Duratius. He could see a confident, almost arrogant smile on his lips. This was not the opponent Xander was accustomed to. But Xander really couldn't complain, for he already had a step on his opponent. He was certain he would put on a good performance. Duratius' left side would make sure he would.

Duratius slowly stepped forward, maintaining his combat stance and the position of his sword. Then with a war cry, Duratius charged at his opponent, aiming his sword directly at Xander's chest.

Xander wished that he could be like Buffy and maneuver the sword in Duratius' hands and slam it into his chest. But he was no Buffy.

Xander warily guarded against the jabs from Duratius, and darted his shoulders back and forth to avoid the penetrating blows from Duratius. He wasted no time in attempting to strike Duratius in his left, open side and leaped in the air with his wooden sword raised high in his hands.

Duratius' eyes widened with surprise as the wooden sword thrashed towards his left side. As the sword came to his body, he swung away from the jab and Xander's wooden sword sliced into the muddy ground. Duratius remained balanced, and jammed his sword into Xander's shoulder, causing him to plummet hard onto the ground.

Xander gasped from the pain the blow brought his right shoulder. Before he could think anymore, Duratius stood above him and raised his sword for another hit. Instinctively Xander rolled across the cold, wet grass and heard Duratius' wooden sword cut into the surface of the ground.

"Damn it!" Duratius cursed.

Xander pushed his way up to the ground and charged Duratius with his sword, just as Duratius was pulling the sword from the earth. Then in a flash, Duratius' sword connected with Xander's, a heavy force of wood splintering into one another.

Xander continued the sword fighting eagerly, attacking his blows in Duratius' left side. To Duratius' surprise, Xander was enjoying the sword combat and didn't seem to care about the grass and blood stains on his armor.

Xander swung his wooden sword left and right, then accelerated the sword speed onto the right side. He stretched out his sword, aiming sharply at Duratius' left shoulder. Duratius sidestepped to his right, barely avoiding the strike. Duratius' eyes went wide as his feet stumbled across the grass, trying to calm down his sudden state of shock his opponent had gave him.

After a couple of seconds, Duratius maintained his composure. He could still see Xander's grin and he looked in horror as he came at him again.

Duratius tried hard to maintain his footing and return the thrust of Xander's sword, but something was throwing him off guard. As soon as Xander got in front of Duratius, he scampered to his right, trying to avoid Xander attacking his left side. Xander held his sword back, smiling at his opponent's obvious weakness.

"I don't know what you are doing, Xander..." Duratius' voice was oddly afraid. "But you have some technique that is annoying the fuck out of me."

That left Xander to reflect for a second, but Duratius gave him no more time. With another war cry, Duratius drove his sword into the front of Xander's armor, causing Xander off his feet and slugging him onto the grass once more.

Duratius laughed at his fallen opponent, twirling his wooden sword in a circle and confident his finishing stab into Xander would not fail. "You found my weakness and I just found yours..."

Moaning, Xander rose slowly to his knees, clutching loosely to the butt of his wooden sword. "This shouldn't happen! I had this guy beat!" Xander thought helplessly to himself.

"You fought well, Xander. But I am a better fighter..."

Duratius urgently brought his sword up to gain power and thrust the sword down. Xander rolled across the grass, away from the strike, and gripped hard on his sword. The bigger man cried out angrily again at his sword being caught in the grass.

Without hesitation, Xander quickly got back onto his feet, and looked at Duratius. He was still trying to get his sword out from the grass.

Duratius' scared eyes took a glance at Xander, and shook his head. "How the hell...?"

Xander sighed. "I guess this means I passed..."

Duratius' eyes lit up and yelled as Xander rammed the wooden sword multiple times into his armor and body, causing more damage each blow. Before Duratius knew it, he was on the ground, and Xander rose the sword into the air, ready to put on a finishing stab.

"Halt!" a voice called from the distance.

Silanus quickly ran over to the fallen warrior, standing over him and inspecting him. "Duratius... You all right?"

Duratius' eyes opened halfway and with an angry face, nodded his head. "Of course I'm all right! You think this boy is better than me?."

Silanus let out a deep breath. He was happy that no one was seriously hurt. There was something more important though that worried him. The fighting skills of Xander.

Silanus glanced at Xander. His face went red as he tried to speak. "Xander... I'm uh..."

"So does this mean I can come back tomorrow?" His innocent question, although intended sarcasm, made Silanus rush to answer the question.

"Yes! Of course! Bring Cimberius tomorrow..." Silanus began, still in shock over what just occurred.

Xander nodded. Not willing to waste any more time from being away from the injured Cimberius, he ran out of the roped area and towards the exit. Many of the soldiers standing around, who had watched the battle unfold, stood aside to let him through. In the middle of the group of soldiers, Xander could feel a source of electricity run through his body. It was an amazing feeling. Something he couldn't describe.

"Xander!" Silanus yelled, starting after him. He stopped when he realized he would not turn around.

Duratius let out a loud angry groan. He looked up and down his armor at the blows that Xander had given him. He shook his head. "Bastard!"

He stood up and let out a loud roar, which shot all through the camp. "Xander! You'll pay for this!" But it was too far away for Xander to hear. After another roar, he gave up and sunk to the ground, embarrassed.

"Hmm, I guess what Cimberius implied 'was' true, huh?" Silanus asked, turning to face Duratius. He stopped and looked back at the exit. "Wow... He is something..." He started to walk towards the exit, ready to go back to his home and congratulate Xander.

Duratius saw the dark skies up above and the bright moon around it, and realized he would have to wait another day for revenge. There would be nothing to stop him from getting Xander back. The respect and pride of himself was on the line. He glanced around at all of the soldiers who were looking at him. "Go ahead... laugh at me! Make fun of me! I got beat... but you have to say it was the grass that did me in!"

The men around didn't say anything. Instead, they returned to what they were doing. Some of them shook their heads in disgust.

When he was sure that every man was back to doing work, Duratius crawled to his feet, and dropped the wooden sword on the grass. He studied the wooden sword for a moment and sighed. "Man I'm happy Silanus told me to use a wooden sword," he thought reflectively.


	14. Only You

Brittany stared at Willow, paying attention to her speech. Every now and then she would scribble something, at times not looking at her paper. The speech on the items to use for the upcoming spell did not encourage Brittany to continue writing down the information, but Willow made it seem as if it was the end of the world and that what she was saying had to be done. A tap on Brittany's shoulder brought her back to reality. Brittany turned in the direction of the feeling.

"Hey, Brittany," Willow whispered. "Do you have everything written down? I kind of went through that pretty fast."

Brittany looked at her notebook and sighed. "I believe I do."

There was no change in Willow's expression and Brittany gave an exasperated huff.

"Witchcraft," she said frustratingly. She could feel Willow's penetrating eyes on her. "Oh, stop looking at me." The bed moved as Brittany stood up and she headed for the door. Before she could react, she felt Willow's hands around her waist. The smell of essences and candles filled her nose as she was pulled into a warm embrace. She could do nothing but relax. Willow's arms around her waist felt comfortable and necessary. She needed the support and comfort that had been gone since Xander's departure. The frustration and sadness she had been feeling since that time began to finally hit her.

"Willow," Brittany said quietly. "I miss him."

"So do I, Brittany," Willow said in her most gentle and kind tone. "Please, let's not agonize over him or Buffy..."

Brittany wasn't sure if she should follow Willow's advice, but it was nice to see that she was just as upset as she was. Moving away from the hug, Brittany gave Willow a small smile and she used the back of her hand to wipe the sweat off her forehead.

"I'll try not to," Brittany began. "It's just that I hate witchcraft. This is what made Xander go away in the first place..."

"And Buffy..."

"Yeah, Buffy," Brittany snapped to Willow. She looked at Willow and for a moment, she thought Willow was going to yell at her. Instead, much to Brittany's surprise, Willow nodded. She wanted to hear more of what she had to say. "I passed out last time I dealt with this stuff," was all Brittany could think to say.

Willow's expression softened.

"I know it is difficult for you to be involved with witchcraft," Willow said warmly. "But not going back in time... which I assume Giles hid this from you for a reason, would be a regrettable decision. You are precious to Xander, and if we can find him... in that year, 193... Then it will be worthwhile."

Looking up, Brittany nodded, and used Willow's cute face to banish the terrifying ideas she had from her head.

"What if it doesn't work?" she asked, but her words seemed so relaxed and calm that Willow did not take it seriously. "Willow... if it doesn't work... What happens?"

The whole idea of the portal not working seemed far stretched even for Willow, who knew about the consequences of witchcraft more than anyone.

"I guess we'll have to find out," Willow said, trying to do her best not to sound too pessimistic. "I know it will be tough for us to withstand the force and magnitude of what we are doing."

"Explosions?" Brittany prompted. Willow had mentioned during her speech about an explosion that would occur before they would be transported back in time. The idea of an explosion worried Brittany the most.

Willow fell silent. She looked outside the windows around her bedroom, hoping to take her away from the situation as much as possible. A leaf blew across the window, making the scene complete.

"Anyway," Willow continued. "I think we should go get something to eat. I'm hungry."

Brittany shook her head. "We should shop for the materials for this spell."

"No, no, there comes a time when we should take a break."

"We have all the information needed to do this!" Brittany said excitedly. "We can't just go take a break when we're so close!"

"Brittany, we have been doing this all day. We need to take a break," Willow said.

"Fine, you can go eat. I'm going to get what was on that list," Brittany said huskily.

"What's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem. You're the one with a problem," she protested.

Willow paced the room, shaking her head. "Look... I know I've pressured you to find a way to save Buffy and Xander. But we already have everything we need to travel back in time." She felt Brittany's cold stare across the room. "Of course, we need a few more ingredients but we shouldn't rush to do this or they'll be a risk that we can get harmed or even killed."

"Wow," Brittany said, her eyes round.

"Do you know what I'm talking about?" Willow asked on a squeaky breath.

"Yes, I do," Brittany told her.

"So let's just go down to Starbucks and prepare ourselves for this... After that, we can head down to a magic shop in town."

Brittany cleared her throat as if to contradict her.

"Prepare ourselves for this?" Brittany asked skeptically. "No matter how much our preparations are, we won't be prepared for being shoved in time."

"You're right," Willow agreed. "But what I mean by preparing is that we need an exit strategy. We can't just bulldoze our way into 193 without having a plan to get back."

Brittany grinned, looking at Willow. "Kind of like the Iraq War, wouldn't you say?" She looked questionably at Willow.

"Yeah I guess," Willow said.

Brittany turned to the witchcraft materials on the floor. Laid out in a shriveled mess were velveteen and plastic bags, containing runes, herbs, red-dyed salt, and roots from a tree. They were all from Willow's closet collection of witchcraft supplies. According to the page Willow ripped out, those were the materials needed in order to create a portal. However, they still needed birch and cedarleaf among other things. Both were useful into creating fire and explosions.

"Maybe we should just eat here," Willow suggested. She moved to stand beside Brittany to stare at her materials. "Having all this is one thing, but with my noisy parents out and about, you never know if keeping all this here would be a good idea."

Brittany nodded her head, eyes bright. "So what should we have?"

"How about a grilled cheese sandwich? It'll calm down our nervous stomachs," Willow suggested, turning and heading to the doorway out of her room.

Brittany turned, as well, slipping around the piles of clothes and bags behind Willow. As she did so, she felt a cold chill come down her spine. Dawn, she thought. She looked at Willow in front of her. She was smiling.

"What about Dawn!" Brittany acknowledged.

Willow stopped, in front of her, and was silent. She stared back at Brittany, her lips taut. She appeared anxious. Unhappy even.

Brittany wondered why the two had never told Dawn about the disappearance of her sister. Brittany had not even pushed the issue past a question or two.

"Brittany... Dawn doesn't need to know," Willow said.

Brittany arched a brow at Willow. "She's her sister, Willow."

"She's been through enough," Willow said. "She's in college and we shouldn't spoil the fun she is having."

"Yeah I get that, Will. But what if the spell screws up and we disappear? What will Dawn think? Wouldn't it be better if she knew what happened to her sister?"

Willow sighed. "I lost my appetite for food."

"What makes you think Dawn won't suspect anything when we come back with Buffy and Xander and act like nothing happened? She will know, eventually," Brittany said.

"Brittany, you don't know Dawn as much as I do. She is a very emotional person. If we tell her, it'll take our focus off what has to be done."

Brittany flashed Willow a disapproving, upset look.

"We have to stay the course," Willow asserted. After a moment, Willow flushed red, realizing what she had said.

"I think you have been watching too much of President Bush lately," Brittany said.

Willow stared at Brittany. "Yeah, I've been watching too much of the news. I thought it would ease the pain," Willow said miserably.

Brittany lowered her head, smiling slightly. "And you're trying to avoid this problem by eating. Let's just call Dawn and tell her what happened. Then I'll go shop for the supplies."

"She's going to be mad at me and assume I did it," Willow said.

"That's probably true," Brittany agreed. "You were the number one suspect for me when they disappeared. It will probably take Dawn the same amount of time it took me to realize it was Giles all along."

"I'm still wondering if Giles did this on purpose or by accident," Willow said flatly. "I know he was too busy driving Faith home, but like you mentioned before... he wouldn't just leave that bag of such importance at Buffy's."

"People forget even the most precious of things, Willow. Giles is human. But I am wondering why he would even think about time traveling and more so about why he picked '193' of all years."

Willow looked at Brittany inquiringly.

"When we tell Dawn, we have to leave the year part out of it. She'll be more doubtful that it was Giles."

"We have to study the history books."

"Well that's rather a lot of time wasted before we time travel, right?" Brittany asked. "Damn, you never stop finding ways to prevent us from doing this, do you?"

"Brittany..." Willow said, trying to calm down her friend down. "Please listen to me."

Brittany folded her arms over her chest. "Yes?"

"Look, if we don't know anything about the year 193, we won't be able to do a damned thing there. We wouldn't be able to survive. We would be in danger."

"That's your opinion."

"You're right, Brittany. That is my opinion. Buffy and Xander are probably dead by now because they don't know anything about what time period they're in. Would we want to be just like them or do we want to be smart and know everything about 193?"

Brittany frowned, thrown by Willow's abrupt determination to do what she wanted. "Do we know where they are?" she asked, trying to keep her voice level.

"My guess is that they're in a place where a major event occurred in that year," Willow said, her eyes on the ripped page on the bed. "How about you go to the magic shop and I'll go to the library... Then we'll meet back here at night and we can perform the ritual..."

"Yeah... and Dawn?"

"Right," Willow said. "I'll call her cell when I'm at the library."

Brittany stared Willow in her eyes, but hesitated. "Willow, I know I'm not in the position to ask you favors... but..."

"What?" Willow demanded.

Again Brittany hesitated.

"Brittany, tell me what you want," Willow insisted.

Brittany looked around, trying to summon up enough courage to tell Willow. What she was about to tell Willow would be an enormous favor. Finally, she spoke, "Since I am Xander's boyfriend and I'm going... I think it is necessary to bring along Dawn since she is Buffy's sister and all..."

Willow went pale. The idea of bringing Dawn sounded like a death warrant to the young girl. With each passing moment, Willow became more worried that Dawn would get hurt if she went along with them. And like Brittany, she was probably lost between what to do and how to use their time, now that they had what they needed to go into the portal. Instinctively, Willow left the room, buttoning up her blouse and curling her hair with her fingers. She needed to look good when she was out in public.

"Maybe Dawn would not want to go," Willow thought nervously as she walked. "It was, after all, the same day she would be told of her sister's disappearance. She wouldn't be ready. Or would she?"

Cimberius realized he had stopped breathing when he took in a large breath to relieve the pain in his chest. He'd done much better than he'd expected. He hadn't lost consciousness or died, but he had came awfully close. Cimberius hoped he wouldn't have to go through a beating like that again to become a soldier. He used to believe that since he was a former soldier that he would have a walk in the park in the training. Now, he wasn't so certain.

It was only when the doctor shouted at him when he realized Xander looking over him, asking questions. Cimberius was so wrapped up with cloth around his ears that he couldn't hear what Xander was saying. He undid a part of the cloth around his bloodied ear and asked him, "What are you saying, Xander?"

Xander looked at Cimberius' wounds, grinning slightly. "I'm thrilled that you're doing all right, my friend. If I was in your position, I would be certain I'd be dead. You realize that, don't you?"

Cimberius smiled. "How did you do, my friend?"

"Let's just say I passed... and that big guy, Duratius... I beat him in a sword fight." When Cimberius grimaced, Xander said, "Is that a problem...? That I passed?"

Cimberius nodded. "It is a problem that you beat Duratius in a sword fight. He doesn't look like the person who accepts defeat easily..."

"Well, him trying to get revenge is to be expected. After all, I embarrassed him in front of many soldiers around the camp."

Cimberius laughed at Xander's goofy smile. He glanced at his armor and noticed it had taken a beating. "The sword fight must have been close..." Cimberius' voice trailed off as he looked more closely at the damage on his armor. It was clear that Xander had taken some abuse. Even more shocking, however, was that he won. Every soldier Cimberius had came into contact with who received marks that Xander had on his armor were either injured or couldn't walk. Most of the soldiers were already dead on the battlefield. "Wow, I'll be damned! You won, you say?"

Xander looked at his armor. He scanned the impressions on it and seemed stunned at first. Then he gave Cimberius a look of pride. "I didn't even feel the blows really. Well, now I do, but when he hit me with the wooden sword, it was like a punch... a weak punch."

"Wooden swords?" 

Xander nodded.

Silanus arrived into Cimberius' room out of breath. "Xander, what you did back there was nothing short of extraordinary. I wanted to come here to congratulate you on what you've done."

Xander grinned at him. "I got good news... Cimberius is fine."

Silanus smiled cheerfully at Xander, then a more somber look at Cimberius, who lay motionless on his bed. "I can understand why the soldiers at the camp were upset at Cimberius and even jealous... but beating him like this?" When Xander shook his head, he continued, "Unacceptable. You did not receive the appropriate respect you deserved, Cimberius, and I'm sorry for not making sure you had it."

"I find it funny that you happened to be as far away as possible away from the enlistment area..." Cimberius' lips got very thin and his nostrils flared. "Weren't you a little curious when half of the camp rushed away to pummel me?"

"I thought it was just a scuffle between some guards. Why are you so hostile towards me? I was instructing some new recruiters on how to use a bow and arrow. But being curious? No. I had a job to do."

"I see," Cimberius said. "I might as well ask you to get rid of that bastard working the table. He's the reason for my condition right now." Cimberius' face was stern, but Xander could see some hints of excitement in his eyes. "It isn't often when the person who is trying to recruit as many soldiers as possible, orders his men to beat up one."

"Ariovistus you mean? He has been the main recruiter at the camp for many years. He also happens to have quite a following... as you've noticed I'm sure. Trying to get rid of him would cost me my rank and even my duty." Silanus could feel Cimberius giving him a very stern look. "Do I make myself clear? This is my life we're putting in jeopardy..." When Cimberius nodded, Silanus smiled. "I'm glad you are flexible."

Cimberius tried to move his arm, his head whirling from the numbing in his body. "No I'm not."

"Well," Silanus said, reaching behind Cimberius' desk and pulling out his mutilated armor. "If you don't mind, I'm going to try to cash in on this piece of armor. I'll see if I can boil it down into weaponry or something. I'll make sure you get all the profits."

"Thank you," Cimberius managed to say. He watched Silanus take the armor, more politely than it looked, tucked it underneath his armpits, and nearly ran out of the room. The feeling of Silanus gone was relaxing.

He felt like he could spend the rest of the night recovering and in deep sleep, but Xander's voice called to him. "I think what you did, by not telling me about the examination, was cruel."

The mention that he had lied, and the pain the thought gave him, made his stomach clench. "I am sorry, Xander. I don't think I would have convinced you if I told you about the examination."

"What do you mean you wouldn't convince me? I would have been more prepared. Hell, if you told me the day before, I wouldn't of drank." After a couple of seconds, Xander relaxed. "I was shocked," he said, "that I would be doing a sword fight with a giant, with real swords. The thought of that occurring was unreal to me."

"You said 'wooden' swords," Cimberius replied. "What made Duratius change his mind?"

"Silanus came in at the right time." Xander sighed. At Cimberius' questioning look, he continued, "He was just as shocked as I was about the soldiers beating you. I don't think he was aware at all that it would happen."

Cimberius smiled grimly. "I was shocked also. But then again, I had to have foreseen this. I was spoiled when I was in the Praetorian Guard. By coming back to the army, I can see how they see me as a privileged upper-class snob."

Xander looked bewildered. "Why didn't you say anything? If I'd known they would react like that, I would've made sure Silanus was around."

"Silanus would have done nothing. He cares more about his image and dignity in the army. If he saw a bunch of hungry men attacking someone they despised, he would more likely join in than stop their fun." Cimberius sighed. "I'm going to guess here... I won't be able to go into training with you tomorrow, will I?"

Xander shook his head. "I don't think you would. Let's not worry about that now. Just relax and get some sleep."

When Cimberius saw Xander about to leave, he cleared his throat. "Er, Xander... I'm feeling really dehydrated right now. Would you get me something to drink?"

Xander couldn't see a reason not to. "Of course... Any preferences? Diet or regular?"

Cimberius leaned back against his pillow, giving Xander an odd look. "What?"

"Nothing, just a joke," Xander said rapidly, "I'll just get water."

Cimberius nodded. "Okay." His eyes went blank and he returned his head to rest on the pillow.

Xander walked out of the room slowly, trying to take in everything that Cimberius had discussed. First, there were some suggestions from the way Cimberius talked that there was some animosity between him and Silanus. Not just a short-term anger issue, but actually a long-term hatred. Cimberius' reply to his remark that if Silanus was around could have prevented the beating, implied the same fact. When Xander thought about it, he realized that there was not much of a friendship there. It was a pure indifference. Therefore, what Xander saw earlier with Cimberius and Silanus talking like pals had to be an act.

The other thing going on in Xander's mind was the side effects of Cimberius' pain. He seemed to be out of touch with reality. His statement to Silanus that Ariovistus should lose his job was very uncharacteristic of him. Cimberius had implied many times that image was very important. Why would he ask Silanus a favor that would probably end his career, to make sure Ariovistus lost his job? The memory of Cimberius getting beat by a bunch of men ate at him too. If he suffered a beating at training, would he end up just like Cimberius? At a loss mentally?

It was these thoughts that worried Xander when he arrived into the kitchen.

Several minutes later, Xander returned to Cimberius' room with a tray. "Here I am... bearing food and drinks..."

"I thought I just asked for something to drink," Cimberius answered. As he moved to get off the bed, he asked, "Can we eat somewhere else?"

"I don't think you can walk... Are you sure you want to?"

"Oh, yes," Cimberius said. "I've been in this room far too long. And," anticipating Xander's next question, "My recovery will be pretty soon. At the most, a week. If I want it to get better anytime soon, I got to be standing up and walking around."

"And I thought you would be bedridden for months." Xander sighed. At Cimberius' questioning look, he continued, "As soon as you got beaten, I thought you would be dead. Maybe not completely dead, but a little dead. On a more important note, you survived. Only a few people I'm sure could withstand twenty strong guys." Cimberius smiled sadly at Xander. "You shouldn't agonize over what happened. When Silanus was told what happened, he shouted at the guards. What those guards did was illegal."

"So everyone says," Cimberius replied. "I just wish I had been smart enough to know what would happen."

Cimberius stood up. Somehow, he managed to stay standing. He looked around, seeing the room at a different perspective.

"Cimberius, why don't you follow me into the dining room?" Xander asked, walking out of the room. 

Instead of collapsing on the bed, Cimberius followed Xander. He noticed that there was less pain in his body than earlier and it didn't appear that none of his bruises were long-term.

Cimberius soon found himself in the dining room, standing at the window, looking out into the town, wishing he could join the villagers in a dance around a bonfire.

Some time later, Xander wasn't sure how long, he heard the door open and several people come in. Turning, he saw Silanus entering with three young, lovely ladies. Silanus pointed at the chairs, while looking at both Cimberius and Xander. "Men, why don't you sit down?"

Xander chose the chair closest to where he was standing. Cimberius sat next to him while the three girls, two of them blonde and one a red-head, sat in the other chairs. Silanus sat on the chair at the end of the table. 

"How's everything going? I see Cimberius is walking... so that's good..." Silanus spoke up when it became obvious that Xander and Cimberius weren't going to speak.

Both Xander and Cimberius were silent. They stared at the girls seated around them. Xander, even with his mind on Buffy, could not deny the pleasure the sights brought him. They were one of the most attractive girls he had ever seen.

One of the ladies asked Xander and Cimberius questions, but Silanus held up his hand, indicting that she should let Xander and Cimberius talk first. All of the people in the room waited for several minutes.

It was Cimberius who broke the silence. "Why don't you get rid of the whores you brought in and have a peaceful dinner with Xander and I? It's the least you can do as a dignified soldier." Cimberius got up and scooped up his tray. "I see you cashed in well on the armor." He left the dining room.

"Xander, why do I put up with this? I should've known he'd be such a nuisance," Silanus said.

Xander looked over the women Silanus brought with him. Every woman had a shawl wrapped around their shoulders, leaving their arms naked in view. He noticed that along with the dyed red and green shawl they had on, the shawl didn't even extend past their knees. One woman even looked like she had nothing on her legs. Xander was impressed; if they were prostitutes like Cimberius had said, they were probably the best in town.

"I don't know... Silanus... where's your wife?" Xander asked, looking slightly stunned.

"Not here. She's still at her friend's house," Silanus told him. 

All of the girls' eyed Xander seductively. Although he didn't mind the attention he was getting from the women, it was still an eery feeling to have. The last time he had that feeling was when Amy's love spell went terribly wrong. It was a feeling he thought he'd never have again.

Silanus seemed to see Xander's nervousness. "Don't worry, these women aren't prostitutes my friend. They're soldiers' wives. I sold that armor that belonged to Cimberius and got the most of the bargain, eh? One woman for each man..."

Despite being slightly upset about Silanus' infidelity, Xander completely understood Silanus' actions. He had mentioned that the city was known for men sleeping with other peoples' wives. And to Xander, it seemed his wife had been cheating on him. Silanus was just doing what his wife was probably doing to him.

"For you..." Silanus said. "You can have two... since Cimberius is not in the best of moods."

Xander was glad Cimberius wasn't still in the room. He would have a very hard time listening to how his armor had bought three wives'. Just thinking about what Silanus did, Xander had to swallow hard in his throat.

"How many times do you get offered two women to sleep with?" Silanus snapped. "These are respectable women here." He looked at a blond woman seated next to him. "Vertiscus' wife." Then at the other blond. "Pullo's wife." And finally at the red head. "And what do you know... Duratius' wife."

What Silanus was telling him was too much to handle. Xander was now breathing very hard, but he didn't seem to be getting any oxygen in his lungs. His stomach hurt, his vision was graying and his ears were buzzing.

He felt someone caress his face and sit him back further against the chair. Someone, he couldn't tell whom, told him to breathe deeply, slowly. Several seconds passed, before he was able to see everything around him. He looked up to see the red-head smiling at him, one hand rubbing his cheek. The other people at the table sat staring at him, wide-eyed.

Xander looked over the redhead's shoulder at Silanus. "Now I can deal with the fact you brought soldiers' wives, but Duratius' wife!" He turned his head towards the redhead. "What's your name, dear?"

"Antonia," she burst out, not realizing she was interrupting a conversation from behind.

"Well, Antonia, you need to go back to your husband, Duratius," Xander made the knowing point, making Antonia curl up in her seat in embarrassment. "Why don't you and your girlfriends have fun with Silanus?"

More redness crept on Antonia's face. She glanced at Silanus, not knowing exactly why, but found a smile on his face. Almost as if he adored watching her embarrassment.

"Come on, Xander," Silanus said gently, shifting his eyes from Antonia to him. "When was the last time you've been with a woman?"

Xander wasn't sure what to say, or if he even wanted to. Somehow, though, he found himself discussing about Buffy. "Only a couple days to be honest. I have a woman back home who loves me so the last thing I would want to do is cheat on her."

"Who's going to know?" Silanus defended, trying to stare at everything in the dining room but him. He hoped that Xander thought that he was making a mistake.

Xander followed Silanus' eyes curiously, watching him stare at the women with an interesting expression written on his face. "When was the last time you've slept with your wife?"

Silanus sat straighter and caught Xander's gaze, staring wide-eyed. He knew exactly what his usual self would have done, but he was reluctant to cause a fight in front of the women. 

"That is something that should not be discussed," Silanus said quietly.

"I know."

"Would it make a difference if I told you an answer?"

Xander leaned back in his chair confidently. "Of course. I always wondered if you could get it up with your wife."

Stunned and strangely dismayed by Xander's words, it took a moment for Silanus to answer. "Don't you ever use my wife in that kind of manner again, boy. Not ever again."

"Why? You think what you're doing with these women doesn't offend her?"

Silanus hesitated. "Well, I..."

"Silanus," Xander said. "I understand why you did this... I really do. I'm not saying it is wrong since your wife 'could' be doing the same thing. But you don't know that..."

"I know she is..."Silanus said frustratingly.

"How do you?"

Silanus recounted a visit to his wife's friend's house one night, leaving out nothing of the explicit details, including her night clothes around his house and the noises made up in his bedroom outside the home before being let in.

"Why don't you just get a divorce?" Xander asked.

"I have enough worries as one of the head soldiers at the camp. A divorce would cause me a lot of turmoil and an unnecessary problem."

"So you just do this kind of thing whenever she's not home-"

"This is the first time, my friend. Don't make me a villain for trying to find some comfort in this problem."

Xander looked at the women around the table once more. In addition to their pretty faces, he could smell the fine fragrance coming from them. He turned slowly in his chair, wondering if he should take up Silanus' offer or go to bed.

"What makes you think your girl back home is not cheating on you as well? I bet she will succumb to infidelity like the rest of us," Silanus said.

Xander didn't respond. Instead, he thought about what Silanus said for a second. He remembered what he had thought of before he reached Cimberius' home. Buffy was loyal to her companions and never cheated on them. He knew if he took two girls with him that night, that it would just show to him that he was not a righteous man. He had cheated on Cordelia before and he felt that Buffy was his, and doing the same would make him feel awful.

Most likely however, it wouldn't matter. Buffy wasn't his and he wasn't hers. He was a pathetic loser by running away from Buffy when she proclaimed her love to him. Sooner or later, he would feel the consequences from her by that action. But Buffy might also be in the same position as him, with a bunch of guys wanting to be with her. What would she do in that situation?

Aware of the risks and many more, Xander made his decision. This was by far the most important decision during his stay in Rome he'd ever had.

Looking at the creepy voodoo dolls, silk robes, witch stones, candles, incense and oils, while at the same time talking to the clerk behind the counter, Brittany said, "Where can I find some birch and cedarleaf?"

"You can't," the clerk said. "I mean, it's here and all, but in the Sunnydale area... those things are hard to find."

"Why don't you tell me where you store them? I don't have the time..."

"Oh, so you're doing some kind of spell before sundown, huh? Does it involve lesbians?"

"You said it's here. Just show me where they are."

"Alright! Damn, you need to calm down. This is a respectable store you know."

Walking through the store, passing by a variety of supplies the magic store had to offer like a cat, the clerk stopped in front of a shelf. The shelf was full of runes, crystal balls, and plants all contained in zip lock bags.

"Here's the birch," the clerk said brightly, indicating at the side of the shelf a bundle of twigs inside a bag. "It seems to me that this is our last supply of birch. So you ought to pay an extra fee for the birch."

Moving to the back of the shelf, Brittany said, "Fine. Whatever. Where's the cedarleaf?"

Stepping close beside Brittany, the clerk replied, "On the right side, third shelf up."

Brittany stood on her toes and grasped the zip lock bag with a name tag reading, "cedarleaf." Clutching it in her palm, Brittany glanced at her watch. The day was passing by quick. She had to be at Willow's before dark. She could not take a chance with Willow having the knowledge needed to travel back in time. Willow still had enough supplies to go back in time. The birch and cedarleaf were just supplies to make the trip easier.

"This is the birch" the clerk said, handing the other item into Brittany's hands. He studied Brittany's face. "What are you unhappy about now? They're not good enough?"

For a second, Brittany felt confused, but only for a moment. She stood back with the items in her hands and gazed at the short, dorky-looking young man. "Oh they're fine. I'm ready to buy."

"There's some more things," the clerk said, trying to cash in some more on his recent customer.

"I've gotten what I need," Brittany told him.

The clerk glanced toward the cash register and nodded his head disappointedly.

"You don't get many customers do you?" Brittany asked.

"Look, if you're into witchcraft, we have a lot more things you can use," the clerk said, trying to buy some more time to let Brittany change her mind.

Brittany wasn't going to give in. Even as the young man purposely walked slowly to the cash register, she had no thoughts of being greedy and getting some more things. She had enough money to buy out a whole section of the store, but she was on a mission. Business came first. Hopefully, pleasure would come soon.

Didius Julianus uncomfortably adjusted his toga, pausing in front of double doors inside the palace. 'I guess this is where we meet,' he thought, pushing open the double doors and moving into the large, windowless room where an old man stood waiting in the middle.

The old man dressed in the fashionable white toga practically beamed, "Caesar! I didn't think you would come!"

"I didn't think I would either," Julianus said cautiously, glancing around the room to make sure no one was there.

"I'm sure you remember me... from the other day," the old man said simply. He smiled lightly as he moved closer to the Emperor. "You have done a bold thing, Caesar. I am impressed."

Julianus shifted away a bit as he softly said, "It was bold but foolish." His thoughts were racing. 'What would this wise old man tell me to do now?' "I'm glad I got that incident out of the way," Julianus said as casually as possible. He eyed the old man. "Catullus, right?"

Catullus almost had a disappointed look on his face as he murmured, "Yes. I'm glad you remembered."

The carpet absorbed all the sounds as the two walked away from the middle of the room. The room was elaborately decorated, with the walls lined with classic Greek art. Julianus' eyes widened at the stunning beauty. "I'm surprised we don't use this room for anything."

"Over here," Catullus urged. The two walked silently together towards a couch. Julianus was slightly relieved that the old man did not rush to the point, but the build-up was excruciating. "Take a seat," Catullus grasped a hold of a side of the couch and slowly relaxed into it. The Emperor sat across from him.

"Nice couch," Julianus muttered. With the feeling of the soft couch, he felt instantly at home and comfortable.

It was deathly quiet, sitting in the darkened corner of the room. The Greek paintings stretched out all around them, with pictures of trees and wild animals encircling them. If given time to meditate, one could feel transported into those images. The feeling and imagery was there.

"Are you ready to hear this important issue?" Catullus asked seriously, his scruffy white hair pointed upward in a morning look he always seemed to have.

"Well, not really," Julianus replied. "But tell me anyways. Why did you call this secret meeting?"

Catullus recalled the conversation they had the day before. He talked about how he had convinced Julianus into honoring Commodus' memory by killing former Praetorian Guard leader, Laetus. Then he told him how by killing Laetus and showing people he cared for another late Emperor, it made the mob lessen their anger towards him pertaining to Pertinax's death.

Julianus eased back in the couch and sighed pitifully. "Tell me something I don't know."

"I don't think you would want to hear this Emperor," Catullus replied. "I feel that this will anger you greatly."

"Anger me?" Julianus said questionably. "Is everything okay?"

Catullus didn't look at him. "Of course it is. At the moment."

Julianus' eyes flared. "What is it?"

"... I know I am responsible for bringing up the issue of killing Laetus. I remember you agreeing with me that it was the right thing to do. Which I still feel it was. You probably would have been killed by now by the Roman mob. I'll never forget seeing some of their faces. They were bloodthirsty. They would do anything to avenge Pertinax. But even after you killed Laetus, there are other enemies across the Empire that want you dead..."

"I've heard this all before. I know Niger and Albinus are plotting against me. 'Civil war is brewing' and so forth. Is this about governors?" Julianus questioned.

"Yes," Catullus nodded, grinning at the fact that Julianus would not be shocked at what he was going to say. "But there is a more powerful commander who have joined the other two."

"Tell me who it is!" Julianus demanded frustratingly. "If you don't tell me now, I will end this meeting."

"Septimius Severus."

"That's not a big deal," Julianus said quickly, attempting to hide his fright. "As long as we have a strong defense outside the city, we are fine."

"You're a little too cool about this, wouldn't you say?" Catullus asked sharply.

Julianus cast his eyes downwards. "Why would Severus want a claim at Emperor? He isn't the type of man-"

"Laetus." Catullus stated simply. "Severus was a close comrade to Laetus in the past. When he heard of the murder, he joined the other two governors. Laetus' execution has made the three stronger. There are even rumors that Severus will join Albinus' troops to assist him. It will be-"

"You helped me when you had absolutely no need to." Julianus cut Catullus off. "Now instead of having a measly mob to deal with, I have entire legions that will be coming after me. You caused this situation."

Catullus scratched the back of his head. "I totally forgot about them. Niger, Albinus, and Severus were all good friends with Laetus. This execution really was a-"

"Mistake?" Julianus suggested. "Or perhaps something worse. Like a death warrant for me and my family..." He sighed. "You can try to shift blame on anyone you want. But it is I whose opinion truly matters. You are responsible."

Catullus looked away, harshly. It didn't take much for him to realize that he should have never called the meeting. He did it out of necessity out of the regret of Severus joining the legions against Julianus. "You should blame me. I am sorry, Caesar. But I swear to Jupiter that I forgot about Severus. I was more focused on the Roman mob, instead of the more important people."

Julianus narrowed his eyes. "I can't do anything right, can I?"

"I don't know," Catullus said. What Julianus said was true about being an Emperor. He knew as Emperor, he could not please everyone. But he also knew he had to please those who were threats. Catullus now realized that the real threat he thought was the Roman people, really was the governors outside the city. They had the organized legions while the people did not.

Julianus crossed his arms over his toga. "Maybe this anger and hatred towards me will pass. I mean, this happens with every Emperor, right?"

"They've all been declared Emperor by their troops," Catullus answered. "Like Caesar once said before crossing the Rubicon river, the 'dye is cast.' Once they commit this treason, they cannot take it back. We will have to kill them or stop their advances."

Julianus stood from the couch and moved to the corner, staring at the wall. "I know I have enough troops to stop them..." He paused for a moment, then turned and looked Catullus in the eye. "The question is... who are our legions loyal to?"

"We will find out soon enough, Caesar."

Leaning his head down to minimize the disappointment inside him, Julianus staggered back. He was responsible, not the old man. Catullus had only brought the thought up to help him, not to cause a bigger problem.

Catullus swallowed and rose to his feet, determined not to show any weakness. "I am sorry, Caesar. Forgive me... I beg you."

"It was I who killed him you bastard!" Julianus yelled, turning and staring hard at Catullus. "Stop acting like you were the one who made the order. It was me! I caused this!"

Catullus lowered his eyes, remaining silent for several seconds. When he raised his eyes, tears shimmered inside them. "I have made many mistakes in my life. This is the worst one I have made."

His face expressionless, Julianus just nodded. "You will not be punished, Catullus. I respect your concern for me and your sadness towards this matter. But I am the Emperor." He proceeded down towards the double doors, with Catullus following behind. "I will not be threatened by pretenders who want the throne." He glanced at Catullus. "Arrange another meeting tomorrow. I want a report on the legions I have."

Catullus nodded. "Yes, Caesar."

With that, Julianus turned and left, not once looking back.

"It's been a while," a recognizable voice said.

"Damn right," a younger voice added.

The two women stood in a gigantic space of dirt inside the middle of the Coliseum. Humidity filled the air and the ground was moist from the rain that had just came down. Both of the women seemed awkward at their situation, staring into Xander's eyes.

The younger girl approached Xander and offered him a kiss on the cheek. Young and small, it had been a long time since Xander had laid eyes on her. She had not lost any of her typical mannerisms or gestures she had back when Xander spent time with her at Cato's.

The taller and dark-haired woman, with no hesitation came to Xander and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. She was usually on edge and uptight, but it seemed this time she was calm and peaceful. While she didn't say another word to him, he had a distinct feeling on what she would say, had she had spoken.

There was an awkward silence as both women stood back in the middle of the Coliseum, looking at Xander and unsure on what to say to one another. Alas, the younger girl spoke.

"I miss you... Xander..."

The shock of seeing two dead members of Cato's family was not as pleasant as Xander had hoped. The women regarded Xander with no greater interest than he would have shown if he saw them alive again.

"I'm sorry about what happened, Illeana. If I had never came, you would have been fine," Xander said.

The tension between the women and Xander had relaxed. Both mother and child turned to each other to speak.

"We would've never died if..." Illeana began.

"... we had not allowed Xander in our household, yes. I wish we were more strict on guests we had," Acacia finished.

"Xander didn't have to kick father out of the house... to help us... in fact, he saved him by letting him go."

Acacia gazed lovingly at her child. "Xander loved both of us. It's unfair to say it was his fault for letting us die."

Both women looked down on the damp, dirt ground for a moment and slowly looked at Xander's face.

"Say," Acacia spoke first as if trying to talk about something else. "What have been doing lately since we got massacred?"

"I'm in a military camp, ready to go off into battle." He cleared his throat. "Um, my question is what have you been doing lately?"

Acacia frowned. "Well...we..."

"We've been walking around the city forever. Perhaps you could kill Cato so he could stop by and end this boredom for us," Illeana said.

"I don't know... I..." Xander began. He could feel drips of tears trail downwards from his eyelids.

"You're really a nice person, Xander. I can see why Buffy loves you," Acacia said.

"You are too, Acacia," Xander responded. "If Buffy wasn't so intent on getting her way, I'm sure we would have been..." He paused for a second. "... lovers."

Acacia blushed. "I would've been open to that."

"So have I," Illeana said brightly.

Looking somewhat embarrassed, Xander scanned the Coliseum. "Why am I here? The Coliseum of all places?"

"Ironic, isn't it?" Acacia asked.

"Yeah, I suppose. I mean I haven't been here yet," Xander stated.

Acacia laughed. "That's probably why you're dreaming about it. If you had..."

Illeana was the first to notice. Acacia reacted a split second later when she sensed someone else in the Coliseum.

"Who's there?" Both women asked at the same time at the source of the sound which seemed to be coming from behind Xander.

A sound behind Xander brought him out of his sad state of mind as he heard what seemed to be a woman giggling, spreading her happiness into the melancholy situation. "Xander," he heard a feminine voice say. "You think you would leave me out of a dream of yours?"

Xander turned to see Buffy, dressed in a short skirt and leather jacket, under which she wore a white undershirt. She looked very attractive, with her blonde hair and green eyes, which combined with her slim, yet muscular figure. Xander smiled at Buffy and was rewarded with one in return.

"Buffy!" Xander called out. "I'm glad for you to show up..."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Buffy glanced at Illeana and Acacia. "So you're dreaming about other girls beside me now. I'm starting to get jealous."

"Well... Buffy... this is the first time they've been in my dream... um..." Xander moaned as he kept his eyes on the ever growing hotter Buffy. Buffy looked up at Xander's eyes, locking her emerald eyes with his brown eyes, watching him smile and sigh due to the pleasure she was providing him with.

"So you're just going to forget about us now?" Acacia inquired.

"No... I'm just greeting Buffy," Xander replied, nervously turning his back on Buffy to glance at Acacia. When he turned towards Buffy again, he felt her hands around his neck and saw her lean forward, kissing him on the lips. Xander reacted to the kiss by smiling and closing his eyes, relishing the touch. Once he opened them, he smiled at the seductive grin Buffy was giving him. 

"I knew you would like that," Buffy laughed.

"Are you joking?" Xander replied. "I loved it!"

"Of course!" Illeana said, nodding her head. "I know you love her, Xander."

"You love me?" Buffy asked, keeping her gaze locked with Xander's. "Strange you never told me..."

"Well, you know me, I'm not the best with girls," Xander laughed.

"Cordelia, Faith, and Anya say otherwise," Buffy said. "I love you, Xander, of course. Why haven't you told me? You couldn't handle telling me?"

"Do I have to?" Xander asked, slightly surprised. "I mean you should know I do, Buffy. High school crushes die hard."

"You got that right!" Buffy smiled. Her soft hands caressed Xander's cheek. "So you want to kiss me or what? Free of charge for you, Xander."

"Sure... but..." Xander turned to look for Acacia and Illeana. He was shocked to see that they had disappeared.

"I don't think they're as important as me to stay."

Xander grinned, glancing back at Buffy. "You always were the self-centered slayer."

Buffy flashed him a pouting face. "Not as much as Faith. Just kiss me, Xander."

Both of them laughed, then proceeded to making out again. The only thing the two could feel were the warm saliva flowing into each other's mouths. Buffy moaned, firmly groping Xander's back with her fingers and nails.

Xander's eyes shot open, and sat up in surprise, with his blanket still wrapped around him. Xander glanced around his room given to him by Silanus, obviously disappointed to not be dreaming anymore. As he felt the morning wind come in from the window, he turned his back to shield himself from the cold.

He wrapped the blanket around himself somewhat awkwardly, smiling at the wonderful dream he just had about Buffy. So, it wasn't real. That was alright. It would happen in time, he hoped.

In a sudden mood to see someone real, Xander lifted himself up from the bed. He rubbed his eyes. Slowly, he could feel the touch of Buffy's lips against his- a feeling that haunted his dreams. A feeling that was hard not to be addicted to.

Xander looked around, willing his stinging eyes to focus, and was surprised to hear many peoples' voices talking, although he could tell it was very early in the morning.

In a sudden burst of energy, Xander got to his feet and went through the open doorway, turned left, and nearly collided with Cimberius.

"Whoa! Watch it, Xander."

"Oh, sorry, Cimberius, I didn't see you coming," Xander muttered, silently cursing himself for saying something so foolish.

"So you enjoy your night with the whores?" Cimberius asked, showing hints of anger and frustration in his voice.

"No. I didn't choose any of them. I have Buffy, you know... back home." Xander shamed himself; he was pathetic, using Buffy as a reason not to sleep with any of the women. Even though he had left Buffy without telling her that he loved her. "I just dreamed and stuff," he added, and he wanted to hit himself for what he had just said.

"Are you sure you weren't living your dreams? I swear, Xander. I thought of you as a better man."

"No, no, no, no. I didn't sleep with any of them, you see. I just woke up... alone..." Xander explained. He couldn't resist adding, "I thought they were pretty good-looking though."

Frowning and clearly disgusted, Cimberius pushed his way past Xander. "As a soldier, you need discipline," he said, walking away from Xander. "You don't have it!"

Confused that Cimberius did not believe him, Xander said, "Discipline? Hell, I had all the time in the world to tell Buffy I loved her and I didn't! That's discipline!" More like being a wuss, he thought.

Xander longed to explain the crazy situation he was put in by Silanus to Cimberius and to reveal what he did the previous evening. Even as he worked up the courage to deny all the women the chance to be with him, however, he felt that he had already did sleep with them; mentally. He was aroused visually by their presence and it gnawed at him the night before not to sleep with any of them.

Nevertheless, if he kept on pleading his innocence to Cimberius, about his choice the night before, Cimberius would surely believe that Xander was just trying to deny the events that Cimberius believed occurred.

He swung and turned away from Cimberius and walked down the opposite end of the hall.

Steam rose from the clay cup, rising into the cool air inside Silanus' home. Xander watched it intently; waiting for it to disappear into the air.

The tea he was drinking was rich and tasteful, the same brown color as his eyes. He leaned over the cup and was able to make out a reflection of himself. He looked tired and groggy, as usual.

He turned his head to watch out the window. Two old women walked slowly across the street, one of them limping and holding onto a stick for leverage. He could see through the wrinkles of their faces, smiles and laughter. They walked out of view, still laughing. "They had a reason to," Xander thought. "They're still alive and they look like they're 80."

He looked back at his cup, and scooped it up to devour more of the tea. As he drank, his eyes closed and an image of Buffy once again filled his mind. The taste of the tea and the thought of Buffy were a great combination for the morning.

Antonia, dressed in nothing but a blanket wrapped to cover her body and her upper thighs, came into the kitchen, drawing Xander's attention. Xander glanced at her pale skin and the way she was walking. He had a feeling she had just had sex. A feeling made more certain by the wide grin she had on her face.

He remembered the night before of his physical attraction to her and it had grown considerably this morning, watching her move to the table he sat at. She sat comfortably in a chair opposite Xander, and threaded her fingers through a cup already placed on the table. She lifted the cup up to her mouth, her lips nearing the rim.

"So... how was your night?" Xander asked.

His voice startled her and she placed the cup down on the table. "It was good," the red-headed woman said. "I mean it wasn't so pleasant considering there was only one guy to be with."

"That's cool. What about the other girls?"

"They were with me and Silanus," she said, gushing. "I'm not really into that kind of thing. I prefer men, but I got in on some of the action."

Xander looked carefully at Antonia now, seeing her as a different person, not the same innocent girl he had seen the night before. She looked like Willow in a way- long red hair, a cute face, young. The only thing that differed from Willow was that she was not so naive.

Antonia could not help but notice Xander's eyes undressing her. His look made her relax a little.

"I thought you didn't like me," Antonia said quietly.

Xander found himself liking the woman some more, despite his concerns. He inclined his head a little to study her expression. She was serious. "No... It wasn't that... I have some girl waiting back home for me. I'm not the kind of man-"

"My question is," Antonia's voice shook a little, as if she feared the response she would get. She leaned forward with an intense expression. "Did it have anything to do with me being Duratius' wife?"

Xander looked her in the eyes and answered truthfully, "Part of it, yes. But for the most part, it was for Buffy."

"Buffy?"

Xander could feel his heart flutter with the sound of her name and smiled. "Yes... Buffy."

"I've never heard of a name like that," Antonia said.

Xander's face was flushed with pleasure. "It's a beautiful name," he said dreamily. "I like to call her Buff..."

Antonia laughed. "A woman named Buff?" Her smile was genuine as she continued, "What does she look like?"

"She's gorgeous," Xander replied. "We're not talking girl on the street gorgeous but princess gorgeous, like she's royalty."

"You must be a lucky man," Antonia admitted.

Lost in thought, Xander paid only little attention to Antonia's loving gaze and focused on images of Buffy.

Antonia took a deep breath and looked behind her into a hallway. "They should be coming soon." She turned to look at Xander. "You are a handsome man. To have also handsome qualities makes you someone most desirable." She smiled at her inner, embarrassed smile. "I envy that woman named Buffy. She is a lucky girl."

Xander was no longer listening. His eyes closed, he could see Buffy naked, one body part after the other. He could feel himself becoming excited as his eyes went down her body.

Antonia, recognizing Xander's state of mind, heard footsteps approaching from the other women and Silanus. She turned and waved her arm, gesturing to the chairs beside her. "Hey guys, please have a seat."

The two other girls seated themselves quickly, neatly. "Antonia," they said in unison. 

"Xander," Antonia said, trying to get his attention.

"I see he is daydreaming," a girl spoke quietly. "Probably about us."

Antonia blushed, but the girls did not notice. They watched Xander in silence as his eyes remained closed.

"Xander!" Antonia repeated.

Xander opened his eyes and looked up sharply at Antonia. "What?"

All of the three girls laughed.

"Um," a girl began hesitantly, her face red. "You got a little drool."

Xander groaned as he wiped the wet saliva from the bottom of his lip. "Oops." He glanced up at the three girls giving him an odd stare. "If you're wondering, it wasn't about you."


	15. Discoveries

"Who was it about then?" one of the blonds asked.

"Um..." Xander hesitated.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Antonia said. She watched him struggle with himself, and placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "Do you want me to tell them?" Realizing it would be easier and less difficult if she told them, he nodded. "He is not thinking about us. He's thinking about his lover... Buffy."

"Buffy?" the other blonde asked.

Again he nodded. "Yes," he said hoarsely.

"Is this the same girl you discussed at the dinner last night? Or is it another woman?" Seeing Xander's eyes open wide in alarm, the blonde knew the answer immediately. "Oh, so she's the one. Fancy her so much you fantasize about her?"

Xander swallowed. "She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I doubt any guy wouldn't doze off thinking about her."

They sat quietly for a time. Xander felt like he was being pressured with questions from the two blonde girls. He figured the blonde girls were so naive and teenage-like that they didn't even realize how encroaching their questions were to him. When they spoke, their voices reminded Xander of the dimwit blondes he saw in high school; people like Harmony. The only thing that he liked from the group of women was the feeling of Antonia's hand on his arm. It eased his breathing and made him maintain his cool while the blondes interrogated him with questions.

"How did you meet her?" the same blonde asked.

"High school."

"What?"

His eyelids started drooping. He knew he had once again crossed his time period with theirs. "Not high school. I mean the marketplace."

The blonde giggled. "You met her at a marketplace? How romantic..."

"Yeah," Xander mumbled, his eyes already closing. His breathing slowed, evened out. He felt Antonia's hand sliding from her grip on his hand. From deep in the darkness, he said, "Keep your hand there."

"I will," Antonia replied, firmly locking her hand on his arm.

The first blonde grinned. "Need Antonia's help to bring back the fantasy?"

Antonia blushed at the remark and cursed herself for not criticizing Melantha, Vertiscus' wife.

"I'm just tired," Xander said. Because of the blond girls, he thought.

Melantha asked him something he couldn't hear while falling asleep. He didn't really care anyway. However, he reluctantly opened his eyes to look at Melantha. "What?"

"Where are you from?"

He chuckled softly. He hated that question more than any other one. It was always a setup for him to be discovered as someone that didn't belong. He was thinking of how many times he had answered the question about where he was from. A lot of times, he thought.

"Xander?" Melantha asked.

"I heard you. I'm from Rome," he said. "So is Buffy."

"Really?" the other blonde asked. "Maybe you should take us there... when you're done with training."

Xander stared at her. "Maybe you should take your husband there."

"No need to show your anger, Xander," Melantha said quietly. "If you knew June, you would know that her husband abuses her. She wouldn't want to take her husband anywhere."

"I can see why he abuses her," Xander said.

"And here I am thinking you are a great man," Melantha said. She looked over at Antonia, hoping that she would take her defense. "Antonia, did you hear what he just said?"

Antonia was sitting there, staring off into space, strangely silent. She finally shifted her gaze to Melantha. "Huh?"

Xander deliberately cut in. "I don't think we need more drama in here." He chuckled as he watched Melantha make the obscene Italian gesture of the back of her hand flying off from the bottom of her chin.

Antonia smirked. "Drama? What's going on?"

"Xander is being mean to poor June. He thinks she deserves being abused," Melantha explained.

Xander lay back and stretched out, making his arm release from Antonia's hand. "I don't think any wife deserves to be abused. I'm just saying... the way you described the situation, it was like the husband did it for no reason."

Antonia gaped. "Oh my."

"There doesn't have to be a reason," Melantha said.

"There's always a reason." Xander looked at June. "Why does he beat you? Does he know that you do this?"

"That is not up for discussion," Melantha grumbled.

"You're not a judge." He looked at June. "Come on June." He hated June's silence to the matter. "Look, I'm not happy you get abused! I'm just wondering why he does it."

"Stop talking to her like that!" Melantha yelled.

"Guys, please stop it," Antonia pleaded.

"He knows," June interrupted. Both Xander and Melantha turned unbelieving stares at her. "I feel a bit foolish for not speaking up about it. But I'm glad I did." She glanced at Melantha and took a deep breath. "I should've told you about it before but tonight gave me the best chance to tell you."

Antonia, still a bit uncomfortable, took the chance to cool things down. "Well, there's the truth. Thanks June, for ending this bitterness. You clear with the truth, Melantha?"

"Well..." She wasn't sure how to respond since she was slightly embarrassed by being proven wrong by Xander. Finally, she said with conviction, "Xander was right. I shouldn't of been so riled up about it. I just care about June so much and the fact that he said she deserved being abused, made me get upset."

"I didn't say she 'deserved' getting abused," Xander told Melantha. "Get your facts straight."

Antonia smiled at Xander. "I believe you, Xander."

"Thanks..." Xander's answer seemed a bit hesitant as if he were surprised.

"Antonia, you always back me up even if you think I am wrong," Melantha complained.

Antonia raised her cup to her mouth. "I've known you for a while, Melantha. I know when you are exaggerating the truth."

Antonia drank and Xander quietly did the same. They relaxed, a little uncomfortable about what had just happened, but they understood it was not such a big deal.

Silanus chose that moment to make his entrance, after overhearing the last bit of the conversation. He came out of the shadow he was hiding in and took a step forward. "I see you're stirring up trouble, Xander," Silanus said darkly. "It's not the morning I wanted the girls to have."

"Trust me when I tell you that it wasn't the morning I wanted to have," Xander said easily.

"How very honest of you," Silanus said, heavily sarcastic. He smiled at the three women seated at the table. He leaned down and kissed one of the girls, June, on the mouth. "So are you ready for today's battle?"

Xander arched an eyebrow. "Battle?"

Silanus took a seat on the opposite end where Xander was at the table, where the three girls were seated. "I will arrange a one-on-one battle between you and a soldier named Balventius. I think it would help your combat skills with more practice," Silanus said, his voice hard. "For some reason, there are many soldiers who probably believe what you did to Duratius was a fluke."

For a long minute, the only sound in the dining room was the soft background whistling of bystanders outside the window. Xander tried to hold back his anger towards Silanus for mentioning another battle and the assumption others made that his fight with Duratius was a 'fluke.' "This battle you want me to do... Is this guy better than Duratius?"

"No," Silanus admitted. "But he is good. And believe it or not, he has killed some men at the camp using just wooden swords." Silanus looked outside the window at the two boys chattering as they walked.

Xander followed his gaze, suddenly serious. "Is this really necessary?"

Silanus frowned. "Of course."

"I see a coward," Melantha said.

"I'm guessing you're not a coward for not telling your husband about what you've been doing," Xander countered. "As far as I'm concerned, this is not about you."

Melantha's lip twisted. "Why you-"

"He has a point, Melantha," Silanus nodded. "Please leave us Melantha." He glanced at June and Antonia. "You too ladies. Xander and I need to talk..."

Melantha glared at Xander, and gestured to the other women seated beside her. Silently, the three women walked away from the room.

"Thank you," Xander said.

"No problem," Silanus bit out. "If you're wondering, I don't care much for personality in women."

"Man's curse I suppose."

Silanus laughed. "Yes it is."

"Well it was just that Melantha girl," Xander grimaced as he watched Melantha leave the room. "I'm guessing she did most of the talking while you were in bed," he added, turning to face Silanus.

"As a matter of fact, she did," Silanus said. "She made sure we were in the right positions and so forth."

Xander shook his head. "I was hoping I wouldn't meet someone like that."

"It's better than Duratius," Silanus said dryly.

Xander had to smile. "No. With Duratius I could last for at least five minutes. That girl I couldn't stand for less than two."

"I understand," Silanus murmured. "I feel the same way. But if you had a chance to fuck her, you wouldn't deny it would you?"

"I would deny it." For some reason, Xander didn't feel comfortable with what he just said. It felt like a lie. He thought for a moment and suddenly remembered Cordelia. Then Anya. "Wait, never mind. I would do what you said."

Silanus bit at his lip. "So is Cimberius healthy?"

Xander took a deep breath. "Yes," he said. "I saw him walking in the halls earlier this morning."

"I was thinking he'd be back in training in a week, but he seems to be healing pretty quickly."

"I think he's healed physically," Xander said stiffly. "I think it's the emotional healing he needs."

"Ha," Silanus shot back. "Emotional healing? He's softer than I thought."

"Well you did sell his armor that he's owned for a while for some prostitutes... excuse me, men's wives," Xander said softly. "That can have an effect on someone. Including that he believes I had a piece of the action with the women."

"I didn't buy them." Silanus gestured to the kitchen across the hall, and perched in a corner, hidden in darkness, was the busted armor.

Xander looked at Silanus in surprise. "You didn't buy them?"

Silanus gazed at him with a smile. "So you believed Cimberius?"

"Well, yeah," Xander said firmly. "They certainly dressed the part."

Silanus took a swallow of tea from a nearby cup, that was Antonia's. "Cimberius sees things the way he sees them. He doesn't take the time to find out the truth. That's why I won't bother in giving back his armor because it will take a while before I convince him the women were not bought. Plus, it would make him look foolish... which is nice, but to him it would be a nightmare. It might be hard to believe... but... I care about Cimberius."

"I thought you were friends."

Silanus chewed at the inside of his cheek. He saw where Xander was going with this and he wanted to make the topic of discussion as short as possible. "We were war-time friends. We have absolutely nothing in common, except our love for war. Somewhere along the line, he lost that appetite for war and for some reason, hated me for still loving it."

"So you guys really aren't friends?"

"No," Silanus said simply.

Xander thought it over. It was hard to believe, but not as crazy as it seemed upon first being told. When Cimberius met Silanus, Cimberius' expression told him that he did not want to discuss anything dealing with war. The way the two acted upon meeting each other thereafter seemed to confirm the truth that the two were not friends at all.

Xander sighed. "So you and Cimberius acting like friends... All an act?"

"No," Silanus said, perhaps a bit too quickly. "I'm trying to be his friend. He is the one who is not making it happen."

"Wow... there's a lot of things I don't know about Cimberius..." Xander whispered, and as images of everything he knew of Cimberius started to flash through his mind, he slowly got up and walked slowly over to the window. Once he reached the window, he peered out to see streaks of the sun piercing through the clouds up above. Determined to deal with all the details now, he continued to stay silent watching the sun and thinking about Cimberius.

"I think I should be asking you the same question, Xander," Silanus said, his voice rasping into Xander's tranquil mind. "Are you his friend?"

Blinking his eyes, Xander looked at the seated Silanus. There was so much that Xander could have said, so many words and thoughts and feelings to describe his friendship with Cimberius. Even if he could describe them all, he still wouldn't feel comfortable with his answer. After a lengthening silence, he said softly, "No."

What Willow was reading was tantalizing.

Willow wondered to herself why Giles would be so interested in a Roman civil war occurring in 193- except that it seemed fitting for a historian like Giles to be drawn to such interesting events.

The fact that in the year "193," there were three Emperor changes and an invasion by a Roman soldier who became Emperor made Willow a little worried, especially that Buffy and Xander were immersed into that time period. In so many ways, Willow was beginning to build a picture of what life was like in 193. Hesitant, uncertain, questionable... Confident, self-assured, arrogance... and a strenuous, problematic time for political leaders and their families. Willow hoped Xander and Buffy were far away from anything political.

Over time, Willow had lost her overwhelming need to get more books about the year, thinking there might be some small details she might have overlooked. She had pressed the librarian to get any books that involved that year. He gave her as many books as he had. Now she was finally becoming comfortable with the details she had gathered. It was enough.

She placed her hand on one end of the book she was reading and closed it with a thud. Short, minuscule particles of dust that looked like what she would see after Buffy staked a vampire, came out from the book. She sighed a breath of relief. "May I take this one back?" a librarian asked in a soft Irish accent.

"Yes, certainly," Willow said happily. The book the librarian was taking back was a centuries old manuscript translated from Latin to English, describing the Roman Empire. It was a treasure. The book gave her insight into the powerful leaders and more insight into what most civilians in Rome did.

Among many things she learned about civilian life was that Romans called everything used to furnish their homes, "suppellex,"glassware was popular, trade were similar to trade today with wholesalers and retailers, and the Roman doctors were advanced in treating many illnesses. Not so hard to adjust really, Willow thought.

Frowning, Willow remembered the entertainment that the Roman civilians sought. How could she forget watching the movie "Gladiator"? Why was it, she wondered, that the people who appeared so advanced and civilized, loved to watch people get slaughtered in gladiatorial combats or animals?

Willow knew one reason. Death at that time probably ran rampant, especially with the fact that she knew a plague was going around in that period. She knew the people, on the edge of death themselves with daily life, would have enjoyed seeing others suffer before them. Seeing and hearing the dying suffer must have been thrilling for the civilians, Willow thought. Hopefully, she would not be put in a position along with Brittany of death. The civilians wouldn't mind too much.

Willow plopped down in the chair she was sitting in and observed the library. She knew it was only time before she would leave the present. And perhaps never come back. Her gaze slid from children searching through Dr. Seuss books in one section to old women searching through lined shelves of romantic novels. Pictures of famous literary people decorated the top of the library. It hardly seemed possible that she would be in a completely different setting. If Willow closed her eyes, she could see fields and marble Roman roads. Buffy and Xander as well.

It was going to be risky.

Though, even if it meant certain death going to Rome, she would have went just to make sure her friends were safe. The idea that Buffy and Xander could be living happily in Rome bugged her, but she knew in her heart that couldn't be the case. Both were so different and knew little to nothing about the period that they would stick out like a sore thumb.

She lifted one hand to smooth her red locks of hair and prepared herself to call Dawn. Of all the people she wanted to talk to before she left, Dawn would be the last. She knew when she would tell Dawn about Buffy, she would have to play comforter. Hours before attempting a spell going into time, she wanted to be comforted.

But her needs were not important now.

It was for Dawn and if Dawn discovered that Buffy, Xander, Willow and Brittany were all gone, then it would be a tougher reality to face.

Willow unclipped her cell phone from her belt and switched it on. She leaned her head forward and covered her left ear so she could hear Dawn clearly and speak low.

Dawn, a good friend of Willow's for more than four years, had a dorm room number at college. It was a public number enlisted in the Sunnydale University phone directory. Her cell phone number however, was the most private and only given to a handful of friends. Willow knew Dawn would answer her cell phone at any time. Willow keyed her cell phone number and pressed send.

Dawn picked up on the fourth ring. "Willow? Has something happened?"

Although Willow knew she was alone in one section of the library, she spoke softly, "Yes. What are you up to?"

"Reading Glamour."

Glamour is a fashion, beauty, romance, and health advice magazine; everything that girls would want in a magazine and more. It didn't surprise Willow to know that Dawn would be reading such a magazine.  
"Enjoying College so far?"

"Best time of my life."

"At least I didn't call when you were doing something."

"Oh? You at Buffy's?"

"No. That is why I called... See..."

"Please tell me she didn't die."

"No," Willow said, trying to sound as comfortable as possible.

"Because she's died far too many times."

"She disappeared... along with Xander."

"Xander?" Dawn asked.

"Yes, Xander also."

"Are the two an item?"

"No. I don't think so," Willow stated.

"Oh god," Dawn said, showing signs of disgust and anxiety that paralleled to her shock.

"This is really serious, Dawnie. I want you to help me."

"What happened to them better not be witch-related. Is it?"

"No, it's not. I want you to help me."

"Is this a guilt thing? Like did you make a mistake by sending them somewhere?"

Willow was prepared to be blamed for what happened. Still, no matter what the circumstances, she felt hurt that another close friend of her's would make that assumption. "It's partially justified," Willow thought to herself. "I did try to destroy the world."

Dawn sighed. "Do you know how they disappeared?"

"It was a time portal hidden inside Giles' bag. He neglected to tell anyone and Buffy and Xander were the ones who opened it."

"Why them? Why couldn't it be someone like Brittany? Anyway, why would they open his bag!"

"Xander mistakenly took Giles' bag home with him and Buffy came to his house to give him his own," Willow said, remembering fondly to what Brittany had told her. "They must've been curious to see what was in Giles' bag."

"So Giles did this?"

Willow found it difficult to admit as she spoke, "I think Giles forgot to take his bag when he took Faith home."

"Faith? What the hell is going on?"

"I'll tell you when you come to my house."

"I'm on my way," Dawn said at once.

"Good."

"Wait... when you say 'help you', does that mean we're going to find information or-?"

"We're planning on finding them back in time," Willow told her.

"Oh, man. That sounds great!"

"I thought you just said 'college was the best time of your life.'"

"I have two exams tomorrow."

"Oh."

"Wait... my car is at Buffy's. I forgot we can't park as freshmen."

"I'll come pick you up. Your right across Buffy and I's old dorm room, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I guess I'm on my way."

"Giles," Dawn said disgustedly. "Can you revert back to the black hair and vengeance bitch you were before? Turn Giles' skin inside out?"

"I'm done with those days, Dawnie."

"Damn," Dawn said. "How long will it take to pick me up?"

"About a half an hour. Calm down, Dawn, we got plenty of time."

"When did they disappear?"

"5 days ago. "

"I can't believe this! Hurry up!"

"I'm leaving the library right now."

"Library? That's even longer from your house!"

"Calm down."

"Hurry up," Dawn insisted.

"Okay. See you Dawnie."

Willow heard the dial tone as soon as she finished speaking. She switched off her cell phone and was about to walk away from the time traveling books laid out on the table, before she remembered that she desperately needed them. Willow clipped the cell phone to her belt, freeing both her hands. She ran over to the books and grabbed as much as she could hold, and raced out of the library.

Breathing hard as he moved quickly to answer the front door, Paulus felt the chains of panic begin to squeeze him. Behind the front door, he could hear many men chattering and calling out Cimberius' name, pleading for him to open the door. He knew there was a possibility that his grandson could be wanted by the Praetorian Guard for punishment.

A moment later, he opened the door and saw the leader of the Praetorian Guard, Pulcher, and many of his men huddled around him.

Paulus began to tremble as he noticed that many of the Praetorian Guards' swords were out and held in a combat position. Pulcher was the only one without his sword detached from his belt.

"Pulcher, is this about Cimberius?" Paulus panted.

Pulcher sighed and shook his head. "No. It's not."

It took a moment for the words to register, and Paulus blinked. He nodded and the fifteen-something Praetorian Guard men and Paulus stood in silence, all of them watching what was inside the house. Paulus was beginning to wonder why the men were there. Even if it wasn't about his son, he found it hard to be about him. He had no affiliation with the Praetorian Guard.

With the Praetorian Guards' patience suddenly declining, Pulcher stepped into the household, along with his other soldiers.

"Wait," Paulus said. He tried to extend his arm to block the men's entrance into his home, but half of the men were already past him. Watching Pulcher take a walk around the foyer of his home, he debated whether or not to tell them it wasn't the best time for guests. "Shit," Paulus mumbled, realizing he didn't have the courage.

Pulcher watched his men. He took a deep, long breath, then quietly moved closer to Paulus, wondering why the homeowner was trembling so much.

Pulcher corked an eyebrow, gazing into Paulus' eyes. "Something to hide, Paulus Pompeius?"

Paulus shook his head, trying to swallow down his fear. "No. It's just... this intrusion is quite unnerving."

Six pair of eyes flicked instantly in his direction.

"You're not a criminal," Pulcher said reassuringly.

"Then why are you here?" Paulus sounded more impatient than he intended, and he slightly turned away to shield his frightened face.

Pulcher moved closer to him. "For a good reason."

Paulus swallowed through the thickness in his throat. "What good reason is that?"

"My men are here with me to find a couple by the names of Buffy and Xander. They are fugitives that were supposed to be executed on March 28," Pulcher said. "And to gather information in the process."

Paulus tilted his head, as if wondering what Pulcher meant. "Say again?"

Pulcher smiled. "A couple... by the names Buffy and Xander. Have you heard those names before? It seems that you have..."

Paulus' eyes widened, but said nothing.

Paulus didn't bother looking into the shadows at a girl's face on his right side because it would lure the other guards to her position. One of the criminal's names Pulcher mentioned, Buffy, stood at the top of the stairs, overhearing the conversation down below. Instead, he tried to see whatever she was doing with his peripheral vision. She was shaking her head violently. 

"No, no," Paulus answered. "Never heard of them before in my life."

Pulcher studied him. "I see," he said. "Not even of their public execution?"

Paulus waited for more gestures from Buffy from his side, but Buffy seemed to have disappeared within the shadows.

"What? You're telling me you never heard of their public execution? It was publicized well in advance upon their capture."

Paulus raised his chin, making himself appear calmer than he was. "I don't read the paper."

Pulcher glanced around. Again, he saw no one.

"You mind if my men and I have a look around?"

"Please do," Paulus murmured. He didn't have a choice. Denying them would mean certain incrimination. It wasn't until Pulcher glanced away when finally the other men stopped staring at him. Paulus drew a long breath.

"I'd be happy to lead the way around the house," Paulus offered, feeling suddenly relieved. To him, it seemed as if he were really saying, 'I'll show you anywhere Buffy wouldn't be.' 

"We'll be fine," Pulcher said, tired of the old man's voice. He pushed through one of the doors into a living room and stepped into the darkness. His men followed him closely behind. Scanning the room, he noted that some of the cabinets were open. The rest of the room seemed like someone had just left it as well, and Pulcher started making his way into the kitchen.

As he walked, he realized there were footsteps upstairs. He stood still. 

"Paulus," Pulcher said

"Yes, Pulcher."

Pulcher turned his head slightly and met his eyes. "You have any guests?"

Paulus shook his head. 

Pulcher nodded to his men. "There's someone upstairs. Find out who it is."

Paulus raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. Buffy was minutes away from being discovered, and he couldn't do anything about it. He heard the soldiers' footsteps march heavily up the stairs, and suddenly a quietness in their movements. They were going to find her, Paulus thought. He was going to die.

The footsteps grew heavier and louder, making the hair on the back of Paulus' neck stand up.

Pulcher put a hand on Paulus' shoulder and took a step towards him. "Let's hope we don't find..."

Pulcher trailed off, not wanting to mention the names.

Paulus didn't answer.

Pulcher stared hard into Paulus, hoping to find any sign of insecurities in his expression. All he saw was nervousness. He had to bring up the status of Cimberius. It was the only way to break the tension between them.

"How's your grandson?"

"He's doing fine," Paulus said. "He stops by occasionally."

Pulcher nodded vigorously. "Is he doing any more military service?" he asked.

"No." Paulus' voice rose, trying to make his lie as confident as possible. "I know nothing of what he does."

"He has been detached from others lately... I completely understand," Pulcher said, nodding sympathetically. 

A cry echoed from upstairs. Pulcher smiled.

"Wait, I can explain-" Paulus began.

Pulcher raised his hand to silence him. He was anxious to find out what his men had found. "We're going to see what you were hiding upstairs," Pulcher said coolly.

"I'm not hiding anything!" Paulus yelled.

When Antistius walked down the steps, he spotted Pulcher, standing beside Paulus. In his hands, he held a bundle of clothes.

The clothes baffled Pulcher. How he heard footsteps upstairs and ended up with clothes was beyond comprehension.

"This is all we found upstairs, Pulcher," Antistius said.

"What was that noise upstairs?" Pulcher demanded.

"We were trying to see if anyone was hiding somewhere so we could scare them and find their position, sir."

"That was foolish on your part," Pulcher snapped. He waved a finger in Antistius' face. "If there was someone up there, you effectively made them get farther away. I have warned you earlier about doing things like that!"

Pulcher seized the clothes from Antistius' hands and squeezed hard on the fabric. As he felt the clothes, he turned to Paulus and observed him closely. His rounded face, once thin and pale, reminded him of the men who stayed at the taverns late through early in the morning. He tried, and failed, to picture Paulus as someone who wouldn't bring a woman home with him.

"Where'd these clothes come from?"

Paulus forced a wince. Seeing his expression, Pulcher shook his head.

"It's okay. I know how embarrassing whores can be to talk about. It was a whore, correct?" Pulcher questioned.

"No," Paulus thought. "But I'll say it was."

"Yes," Paulus said, stepping closer to Pulcher and Antistius. He reached for the clothes with one hand and snatched it from his grip. In his haste to play the part of a strange old man, he sniffed the scent of the clothes. Smelled good. "C'mon," he said, looking at Antistius. "By smelling this, you couldn't tell it was a whore?"

"I don't think whores have a scent," Antistius said, sounding stressed. "But I guess-"

"You haven't been to many taverns have you?"

"Uh... I don't know..." Antistius paused and began nervously rubbing his jaw. "Well, we're sorry for the inconvenience."

Paulus raised his hands, as if playing innocent. "I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable. I'm just saying you should know these things before bursting into someone's home."

Pulcher put his hands on his hips. He was standing just outside the kitchen, nodding thoughtfully, doing his best not to show his frustration in front of his old friend, Paulus. He had known Paulus since Paulus was forty-five years old, when he had a family, and worked at a tabernae argentariae. Paulus had kept many deposits of Pulcher in safe hands at the bank and Pulcher respected Paulus greatly for his duties. At that time, he remembered fondly of a boy Paulus talked about as his grandson named Cimberius.

"So are you guys done searching my home?" Paulus asked, not bothering to hide his disgust.

Pulcher shook his head, as if telling Paulus not to worry about it and faulting himself for their siege.

"I'm deeply sorry for the intrusion," Pulcher said calmly. Behind him came the rest of the Praetorian Guard, rushing down the stairs to see what was going on.

Paulus squinted at the men coming down. Some were carrying some of his belongings, such as weaponry and jewelry. He looked at Pulcher, sighed, and shook his head. "You're men are taking away some of my things."

Pulcher's calm face disappeared. He turned to his men, red in the face. Some of the men stiffened at his look while the others continued into the foyer, not worried about what they had done.

"Leave his belongings here," Pulcher said, holding out his hand. "Do what I order."

"Oh," one soldier said, putting some of the jewelry he stole from upstairs on the floor.

"But you usually let us take things from the houses we enter," another soldier said. He waited for a second and realized Pulcher was not in a good mood. "Fine."

Paulus watched Pulcher blush in embarrassment and feel a underlying state of rage. It wasn't that Pulcher was distressed that his men were stealing peoples' belongings. He always knew that Pulcher was a thief. Pulcher never stopped donating more money into his deposit at the bank he used to work at, never told him where he got the money, and never took more than five minutes getting rid of his money. I should've figured he would allow this to happen, Paulus told himself.

"We're leaving," Pulcher said. "Now!"

He sounded mad, which made Paulus feel better as he bent down to scoop up his belongings on the floor.

"Goodbye Paulus." Pulcher walked to the front door, as the last remaining soldiers dropped the clothes and jewelry in their hands. Pulcher exited the front door with Antistius close behind. The last thing Paulus saw of Pulcher was his hair moving bristly through the wind. "We need to search harder, men!"

"I'm sorry, sir," a distraught soldier told Paulus.

Paulus continued gathering his things. "Leave. You've caused enough trouble."

"Alright," the soldier said, trying to get around him. Once he did, he went out the door.

Paulus took the rest of the time to pick up all of his things, placed them in a bag as well. Then organized his thoughts.

At the close of the front door, he took a deep breath, and rose to go see where Buffy was.

He hesitated, as if thinking the Praetorian Guard would walk back in, then he heard the horses gallop away and continue down the street.

Paulus went straight to the stairway. He started up the stairs, his mind on Buffy and her safety. He went at a hurried pace, a ready look on his face, not knowing if Buffy was alright or not.

Wearily, he reached the second floor, brushed off sweat from his forehead, and walked along the thin hallway. As he entered the depths of shadows in the hallway, Paulus thought of how Buffy could have escaped the grasps of hungry Praetorian Guards. If she hid somewhere, it would have to be good. For a two-story home and many rooms inside, the house was an empty waste of space. There was nowhere to hide.

A few minutes later, he was standing inside Buffy's room, surprised that Buffy was sitting on her bed, like nothing happened.

Paulus' eyes widened. "Buffy! How did they not see you?"

Unexpectedly, Buffy shuddered. Her action came upon him without warning, like the visit he was paid by the Praetorian Guard. Without thinking, he looked away from Buffy and at the open window beside the bed, as if he knew something, or someone, had came through it.

Paulus walked towards Buffy. The closer he got, the wider his eyes became. When he was standing at her side, he knelt on his knees in a gesture of respect and took a deep breath.

"Thank god," he said softly, then started to grin.

"They're not as smart as people say they are."

"Why is that?"

Buffy held her breath for the moment, unwilling to break the silence with sound. Finally, she exhaled slowly.

"They didn't even check outside the window."

Paulus was already itching to touch Buffy and comfort her with a hug, but he relented. "I'm sorry for not giving you a warning."

Buffy nodded. "That would've helped. But outside on the roof worked fine."

Paulus sighed with satisfaction and then stood up. "I'll see what I can make for some early dinner."

"Anything would be nice," Buffy said.

"You okay?" Paulus gave Buffy a concerned glance, and when Buffy finally nodded that she was okay, he walked to the door and left.

Buffy ran her hand through her blonde locks, and fought back tears as she leaned it against the soft fabric of the bed. She couldn't let herself cry. She'd dealt with a few days without Xander and still had not had a breakdown.

Too sad to be do anything active, she leaned her body back onto the bed and started to tremble as what she remembered of Xander came into her mind. Would he ever come back? Was he dead? The despair of those questions broke her heart.

She buried her face into the sheet. She'd been forced to endure the Praetorian Guard search, and now, to get away from it and be by herself again was something more to endure. Buffy couldn't get over the loss of Xander. His touch and warmth of him, his kindness.

The memories of them kissing made her heart skip a beat. She forced herself to dispose that pleasure because she knew after the pleasure of the thoughts, there would be immense pain. No matter what she thought, without him by her side, she was empty.

"I miss him."

It was her last thought before she rolled on her side and fell asleep.

Giles pushed open the door to his apartment. After going to many different bars all across Sunnydale, he decided to return to his apartment. Partly because he didn't want his nosey neighbors to worry.

He poked his head into his apartment. Everything was like it was when he left, all his books sorted in the right spots. He threw his coat onto the hangar on his right, feeling relaxed and showing his home temperament. He entered the apartment.

Giles made his way into the kitchen to prepare an evening meal. Before he had stayed away from his apartment, he had made supper for himself every day, and he was good at it. He missed the taste of his home cooking more than anything else in his apartment. He tasted his black-favored Kenya tea that he had put on his stove the day he left, added some salt, then sat on his couch in his living room.

He could feel a wave of grief come over him as soon as he sat. Every time he was home alone, he would feel remorse for what he had done to Buffy and Xander. Most of the time it was an unbearable feeling and usually he would drink wine or beer to drown his thoughts. Certainly not tea.

Surely Brittany and Willow would discover he was the one who caused their disappearance. Brittany was determined. So was Willow. And he eventually would be caught. It wouldn't take a genius to find out that one.

Still, he hoped they wouldn't get any ideas that he was behind the portal in his bag anytime soon. He recalled his love making with Brittany in his apartment, not all surprised that his hormones had nearly jeopardized his secrecy. She easily could have came upon the time travel book while she was with him. Nonetheless, he couldn't imagine that their sex had been as meaningful to him as it had been for her- he was after all, a much older man. Brittany would not be coming back unless he invited her, therefore lessening the chances of her coming upon his book.

He ran his fingers across the wooden table in front of him, pretending it was Brittany's skin he was stroking. He wanted to call her and invite her over again for dinner. It would be too risky, but then again, everything he did now would be risky. Any false word or action would make him an object of suspicion.

Giles couldn't help but to grin as he watched the broken handle to the cabinet his book was in. As long as the book was in the cabinet, he would not be a suspect, and he had nothing to worry about.

The snow came down so hard onto Xander that he couldn't see his opponent in front of him. Although he had on a steel bowl-shaped helmet, his eyes were exposed to the heavy snow moving from the east. The wind brushed furiously against him, and ice-formed crystals complied together over his eyelashes, leaving him nearly blinded.

He drew his sword. Balventius moved slowly towards him, going in his direction despite the snow blinding him also. Balventius drew his sword after he reached ten feet away from his opponent. Xander was frightened and intrigued at the same time, fighting someone who had killed opponents using wooden swords and the possibility that if he won, he would be a popular warrior all running through his mind.

It was only a battle of wooden swords after all, Xander thought. A battle of wooden swords.

Then, unexpectedly, Balventius decided to remain stiff. He stood still, staring into Xander's eyes. Now it was Xander's turn to make a move.

In his mind, Xander knew quite well that Balventius had killed men with wooden swords based on what Silanus had told him in the morning, a fact that made him hesitant into bursting toward his opponent.

A crowd encircled them, men standing side by side. Words of encouragement, sounds of hateful taunts and yells, the sounds of hands clapping through the wind. A loud shout from behind Xander, whizzed into his ears. "Get 'em you coward!"

Xander focused on Balventius, his opponent who stood motionless, holding firm onto his wooden sword. He understood quickly that when Duratius had attacked him the day before, it was probably his downfall. Duratius was overconfident, but Balventius was not. Balventius eased into his standing position, appearing to seem even more relaxed than he had before. He was not expecting an attack.

Xander gazed overhead and saw that the clouds began to shift across the darkened sky, changing shape as it moved. He closed his eyes and felt peace, along with snowflakes, just so shortly as it began to settle around him. It was not enough to make him lose the butterflies in his stomach, but it was enough to encourage him to charge towards Balventius.

From somewhere inside the crowd watching the battle unfold, a familiar voice cried out, 'Coward!'

Grinning wildly at Balventius, Xander held his sword tight. He was back into the same feeling he was in the day before, the anger and frustration caused by being called 'coward,' and it felt great.

He'd been called 'coward' too many times for one day.

"What are you waiting for?" Balventius grunted, tossing his lightweight wooden sword from hand to hand.

Xander listened to the words, spoken calmly and with the tension of a man who knew how to psyche out his opponent just enough to have an edge, without losing his game. Xander had a feeling Balventius was trying to think of a way to cause him to make a mistake. Most likely, Xander knew it was Balventius' observation that the crowd's words had an impact on him, that Balventius was trying to use to his advantage.

Carefully, without letting his eyes leave his opponent for an instant, Xander lifted his sword high and to his right, in a posture of an obvious attack. He saw Balventius' eyes narrow and become more serious in his stance, and Xander darted forward to attack.

Seeing that Xander had his sword raised high in a position where defense could be difficult, Balventius seized the opportunity and stepped forward, thrusting at Xander's chest with his wooden sword, hoping to gut him.

Xander side-stepped the sword just in time and jogged a couple of feet to maintain a safe distance from Balventius. Breathing heavily, Xander swung back to face Balventius again and was caught off guard by a stab from Balventius, aimed high at his face. Xander whipped his sword from its middle position to the front of his face in desperation, stepping to the right to maintain his footing. Luckily, his sword managed to swat Balventius' sword from the stab, inches away from his face.

Shocked to see his attempt blocked by Xander's wooden sword, Balventius paused long enough to let Xander maintain his cool and prepare for an attack.

"You know that you're lucky that I didn't mess your face up, right?" Balventius asked, grinning at Xander.

Xander knew there was a certain sadism to Balventius. "If you're that bloodthirsty into killing me, I say you use a real sword," Xander said.

"I don't have to." Balventius grinned slightly, then charged forcefully towards Xander.

Xander was ready for his defense this time and swung his sword roughly at Balventius', striking it aside and causing Balventius to back up. Xander's eyes widened as he menacingly stalked the backing away Balventius. Confident to have the momentum, Xander took a wide swing at Balventius, but Balventius deflected it by keeping his sword firm horizontally. Thinking that it was Balventius' last ditch effort of defense, Xander swung again into the sword held 180 degrees horizontally and another swing. Almost like it were hundred pound weights, Balventius bent down on one knee and gained enough to strength to deflect both swings.

Getting back onto his feet, Balventius noticed that Xander was a serious challenger, his eyes lit up like the sun and an animalistic look in his eyes. He was glad he had deflected those blows or he knew he would have a handful of open wounds, bleeding in front of the entire camp.

Even though he was now moving closer to Xander, Balventius felt like he was not in a great position. Unlike he had thought before, he realized Xander could easily defend himself and could shift his defensive tactics into his offensive ones in seconds. Balventius knew he had to be ready for a defensive attack as well.

Without hesitation, Balventius started swinging his sword at Xander, not expecting the leverage his opponent would gain in the intertwining of their swords. Xander's advantage in the sword duel brought Balventius stepping backwards until he bumped into the crowd. As soon as Balventius turned to see what had stopped him from continuing his movement behind him, he was pushed forward by one of the crowd straight towards Xander's swing of the wooden sword. 

Unable to stop and deflect the swing in time, Balventius managed to sacrifice his left shoulder instead of his chest with the swing. He felt the pain of the blow immediately and the force of the blow caused him to back into the crowd once more. Immersed into the crowd for a second, the same soldier threw him forward into the circle. Xander did not take the opportunity to slash his dazed opponent.

Balventius looked up at Xander, his face pale and clearly aching in pain. "Why aren't you-"

"I don't want to beat you like that," Xander said, glaring at the soldier who threw Balventius into the crowd. Xander didn't know where the act of mercy came from, but he was proud of what he had done. He stood a safe distance from Balventius, in control of the fight, ready to hopefully end the sword battle, when the crowd began to boo his decision.

"It's obviously not what the crowd wants," Balventius said. And with an earth shattering war cry, his sword sprung to life and attacked Xander.

Xander found it difficult to block each blow Balventius attempted. It came at him with such precise planning and speed he had never seen before. As Xander avoided each swing with dodging and his sword as a deflector, he couldn't help but think that Balventius was not as hungry as he was earlier. It was almost like he was holding back. Xander figured it meant he was hiding something more aggressive and threatening or he had softened up to him. Ultimately however, Balventius did not have the sadist aggression he had before.

Xander held his ground, moving away from the blows from many days of practice, and natural reflex from years of things being thrown at him. "If I can avoid a spear, I can avoid a sword," Xander thought to himself as he continued to back and dodge the offensive from Balventius. 

Balventius continued pushing Xander back to the opposite side of the circle, until Xander finally forced Balventius to back off with a strong sword swing into his sword. Suddenly, Balventius stopped. He stood ten feet from Xander, breathing hard and coughing out air.

Xander knew Balventius was spent, and he was sure Balventius knew that as well.

When Balventius would make his move, Xander would be ready. Balventius raised his sword in the air, expertly moving like a warrior, all of his movements already planned in his mind. He came fast and covertly, as Xander had not seen before. Xander held his sword firm, ready to combat what appeared to be Balventius' finishing move.

Sweating and slightly out of breath, his shoulder aching from his previous blow, Balventius leapt in the air, elevating far off the ground.

Xander wasted no time in resorting to the move he made to defeat Duratius and rolled across the snow, avoiding the strike from Balventius.

Balventius came to the ground, fuming at the fact that his opponent had avoided his move. He turned around to see Xander getting to his feet. "I heard about this move... I knew you would resort to cheap ways to win..."

"Hey," Xander said, clutching his sword in his hands. "The only thing that matters is the win."

Balventius stared at Xander irritably. "I see, well you're not going to win," he said calmly, then charged at Xander.

Balventius approached Xander with all his energy, expecting his opponent to be surprised. Crashing his wooden sword onto Xander's, he barely managed to avoid slices from his opponent, and was forced to be on the defensive. He quickly regained his composure and began blocking some more blows. Balventius soon returned Xander's offensive attacks with his own, as well, with Xander nearly having the same trouble blocking like him. He then realized that Xander was ganging up on the weight of his blows and to Balventius' dismay, caused his wooden sword to be thrown from his hands and caught by Xander into his open hand.

Now holding two wooden swords, Xander swung them back and forth in a wave motion. "I must have forgotten what you said about me 'not winning' already," Xander said, chuckling softly.

"I am not afraid of losing," Balventius said, almost offensively.

Xander raised an eyebrow. "So you concede defeat?"

For a long moment he was silent, and then Balventius nodded sadly. "You are as stubborn as an Emperor," he said.

"How nice is it for me to be compared to an Emperor," Xander said, basking in the glory of his assumed victory.

Before Xander knew it, Balventius snatched his sword out of Xander's hands. Balventius laughed, his voice so dry that his laugh could've easily been mistaken for a cough. "Nowadays, it is not a compliment to be compared to an Emperor."

Their swords continued clashing and some of the soldiers in the crowd stepped in, wanting to get a better look at what they were seeing. They could have sworn that they had just seen Balventius obviously about to lose upon being empty-handed against two swords. Now he was on the offensive, on his way to victory.

Xander watched Balventius' slightly screwed-up face. He was not going to let him win so easily. Xander allowed Balventius to gain ground on him and before he realized it, Balventius speedily came up from behind and grabbed his wooden sword that hung loosely from his right hand. Balventius had already dropped his own wooden sword and held onto Xander's, aiming it at his opponent's throat before he allowed Xander to turn around.

"You have a lot to learn you know."

Xander looked down at the sword at his throat for a moment, cursing himself for being in this position. Balventius' expression was menacing as it was earlier. Xander couldn't understand how his mood could change from energetic to tired to grim then change to energetic again.

"Now, it appears that I won. Do you want to concede...?" Balventius asked mockingly.

Xander knew this was his best chance. Suddenly, in one movement, Xander pressed down on both his elbows, and clutched onto the pointed wooden sword with his palms, and squeezed it forcefully from Balventius' hands. In the next instant, Xander had grabbed the butt of the sword and had it in his grasp. He aimed it at Balventius, who was kneeling on the ground, his hand extended to pick up his sword he had dropped.

Balventius stood up slowly, feeling foolish and trying to hide his awe. Xander looked at the sword in his hands, oblivious to what he had just done. He tossed it up in his hands and caught it, and once again aimed it at Balventius, who was on the ground once more, trying to grasp his wooden sword.

"I've shown enough mercy."

Rising in confusion, Balventius turned slowly to face Xander. The expression on Balventius' face was one of surprise. He was surprised that Xander was going to hit him with the wooden sword. He blinked furiously and shook his head. "Xander..."

Balventius' body shook from the force and strength of Xander's blows to his body that made him fall to his knees. Xander slowly circled around Balventius, his sword flexing in his grip. Before Balventius could plead some more, Xander, with all his boiled rage at what had happened to Cimberius and the pain of not having Buffy with him, he cocked his wooden sword back and collided it as hard as he could against the back of Balventius. Xander's opponent fell face first onto the snow, unconscious.

Xander had won his one-on-one confrontation with Balventius. Yet he felt no real sense of accomplishment. He only felt a dull emptiness inside him that he considered happening because of missing his former life and Buffy. He did not know how he was in this position, being able to defeat soldiers more trained than him. But he figured that he had always focused on surviving in his life, never contemplating the factor that he could die one day. That was his experience of seeing the positive and it was enough to make him believe it was real. It wasn't a dream.

Xander felt an eery sense of deja vu as he walked through the crowd, hoping to exit the camp to enjoy an early dinner. Perhaps it was the crowd once again in awe of him that struck him the most, but it was a better feeling than the day before. This victory proved to all his doubters as Silanus told him, that his victory over Duratius wasn't a fluke. He looked down at his hands and was shocked to see that they were the same. He was not Superman. He was the same person.

One man from the crowd eyed Xander making his exit from the Gerasa camp. He glanced at the man standing next to him, who happened to be Duratius. "He's something isn't he?"

Duratius' face darkened. "His luck will run out eventually."

The man laughed as he began to walk with Duratius away from the scene. "Luck? That man is a gifted swordsman."

Duratius shook his head. "He's never used a real sword."

Down the field, Cimberius crossed his arms over his chest, staring at the fallen Balventius, marveling at how a well-known soldier could be defeated by a friend of his so doubted by many. Time after time, Cimberius had seen Xander prove to him that he was somebody special. This fight to him certainly made him a believer that Xander was becoming stronger and more reliable to commit acts of revenge for the murders of Illeana and Acacia. He felt as proud for Xander as he was for himself for his decision to bring Xander to Gerasa to train. It seemed to have benefitted himself now more than ever. He no longer would be subject to any more bullying from the Camp. The Camp knows he is Xander's friend. At least he hoped he still was his friend.

Pulcher, Arpineius thought, was a unpredictable leader who abused his power and was often blinded by his goals. As days went on with him as leader, he didn't know anyone who knew what he was going to do next. He certainly didn't.

He didn't know whether to take action on Pulcher. What would happen if the Emperor was on the side of Pulcher? After all, Pulcher had done the Emperor's bidding by executing Laetus. The Emperor could be on Pulcher's side.

Footsteps clunked rhythmically against the marble floor in the halls of the Imperial palace, Arpineius and Considius', both accepting the risk they were taking by approaching the Emperor to tell him about Pulcher's arrogance. They both knew it could end up being a disaster for both of them. The two didn't even trust each other enough that if in the worst possible situation, with both of them in trouble through treason from the Emperor, one could backstab the other to save their own life.

By the time the two arrived at the library of the Imperial Palace, they finally saw light piercing through the windows into the room. All of the hallways they had walked through had been windowless, and it was a relief to see that their endless walk had not brought it to nighttime yet.

Arpineius searched the library and could not find the Emperor anywhere. He had no idea why the Emperor was not inside. From all the reports of the guardsmen who had seen the Emperor, they had said the Emperor frequented almost full days in the library to study history and politics.

"Considius, I want to assure you that I trust you and you have never caused any problems with me all the time I've known you."

"I'm flattered, Arpineius. I feel the same about you," Considius said hoarsely. "I am still not certain we should be doing this."

Arpineius tried to look fearful just like Considius for the moment, trying to make Considius believe they were on the same level, but he felt anything but. He was determined to make Pulcher pay for his reckless actions and would risk everything to do so.

He turned and waved his finger at Considius. "I assure you, Considius, you have nothing to worry about. The Emperor has to give direct orders. As far as I am concerned, Caesar was not in favor of chasing after the lovers."

"He was in favor of executing Laetus," Considius said, dropping his voice to a whisper, "The Emperor cannot want to punish someone else after that. Pulcher is a popular man."

"Popular in what way, Considius? He is popular as leader of the Praetorian Guard of course that much is obvious, but is he well-liked? I fear your worries will disrupt our conversation with the Emperor. I promise you his behavior is worthy of punishment."

As they seemed to have a perfect opportunity for more nervous questions, Considius asked, "And what are we telling the Emperor? Pulcher is having is own private vendetta against the lovers?"

"Yes!" Arpineius said frustratingly. "How many times do we have to go over this? The Emperor has to know what Pulcher is doing in his free time."

"What will our punishment be for telling the Emperor about Pulcher?"

"Nothing," Arpineius said, trying to be as reassuring as possible. He truly didn't know as much as Considius did on what Julianus' reaction would be. But he was more hopeful than Considius that it was the right thing to do. "The relationship between the Emperor and Pulcher has to be strained. Pulcher after all put Julianus in this awful position in the first place."

"Okay, I'm ready," Considius said, beaming. "I'm sure someone else would do the same thing we are doing to make sure Pulcher is punished."

Arpineius hid his disappointment. The truth was that no one had the bravery to speak up to the Emperor. Except them.

"You are doing this for the integrity of the guard, correct?" Considius asked, thinking that there were other reasons why Arpineius had convinced him to join in bringing the unfortunate news to the Emperor. "Is this because of hatred towards Pulcher?"

"Your suspicions are accurate, Considius. I don't like Pulcher. But the main reason I wanted to tell the Emperor is to make sure we don't have a rogue leader in the Guard. It's unsafe for everyone."

Considius couldn't resist frowning at Arpineius' moral statement. Surely anyone could see through the fake rhetoric Arpineius gave him.

"You want Pulcher to die," Considius went on, "allow me to suggest that if you're doing this out of hatred, we should not even bother. Like you mentioned, many people probably don't like Pulcher. They deal with it. As we should."

Arpineius considered Considius' statement, then shook his head. "The whole guard would eventually get in trouble for not telling the Emperor about what Pulcher is doing. I want to know if the Emperor approves this. I care about my safety and everyone who is not involved in Pulcher's rampage."

"Antistius, Laberius, Cavarinus-" Considius said, mentioning those involved with Pulcher.

"All impressionable fools. They follow Pulcher like he is their owner. He is just a man, with more flaws than anyone I know in the guard."

"Especially with bringing up Cimberius," Considius said dryly.

Arpineius nodded. "Cimberius did not commit a crime. He left the guard, but he had a reason to. He knew the guard was corrupt."

"That is true."

Arpineius found himself remembering one key fact that he had forgotten about until this moment. While in the tent, the Emperor had told Pulcher that he would take action against the couple. Perhaps Pulcher was ordered to find the couple, Arpineius thought. Seconds later, he rebuked the idea based on the fact that Pulcher wanted as many people as possible with him, and he did not mention it was an Emperor's request. If he had told the Guard it was an Emperor's order, he doubted Pulcher would be going house to house with only a handful of men. With additional men, Pulcher would have the best chance possible to find the couple.

Arpineius glanced at Considius. "I'm beginning to have my doubts."

"So I see," Considius said, his back turned on Arpineius. When he turned, he gave Arpineius a strange look. "It's too late to back out now."

None of them said anything as the Emperor walked into the library, where he tore off his formal attire with a degree of exhaustion. Arpineius was having his doubts, he hardly knew exactly how to approach the Emperor, and this matter of Pulcher was likely to be a greater difficulty than he had earlier pictured. 

Arpineius puffed out a breath and commanded himself to keep his cool. Or at least stop sweating. They'd only been in the library a couple of minutes.

Arpineius and Considius instinctively headed in Julianus' direction, where Julianus approached a fireplace, stopped in front of it and stared into the fire. They could see Julianus was not in a good mood. Some more doubts about approaching him hit Arpineius like a stone.

When the two came behind Julianus a couple seconds later, Julianus inclined his head slightly to his left, expecting them.

"Men, this is not the time," Julianus told them as he went to a nearby chair, bending down to sit on it.

"Caesar, we came here to give you a report on the Praetorian Guard," Arpineius said as watched Julianus sit in an empty chair.

Julianus laughed, and both of the Guard looked at him in surprise. "They're not loyal to me too, I'm guessing?" he asked as he struggled to stay comfortable in the chair.

Arpineius looked the Emperor right in the eyes, his glance never wavering. "I regret to inform you that Pulcher has brought a band of men to search for the lovers. He's going to search the whole city and everything around it for clues."

Julianus closed his eyes and he straightened up. "Excuse me?"

"Pulcher is trying to seek justice," Considius said, his tone disappointed. "He is merely doing this for his own pleasure. We weren't expecting it," he concluded, and frowned at the Emperor as though such inattention to his words was his fault. "Caesar?"

Julianus stared at the two men. He thought he had heard the worst news possible when Catullus told him that Septimius Severus had decided to revolt against the Empire, but as he watched the way the two guardsmen stared at him, courageous and resolute in their words, he realized how wrong he was. He had nothing but contempt for Pulcher who now had disobeyed a direct order from him not to go after the lovers. As he silently watched the men's nervous looks, he felt sympathy for both of them. "Thank you for telling me this men," he told them, his voice low.

His words were so pleasant to both Arpineius and Considius that they could feel the weight in their stomachs evaporate. They both nodded their heads in respect to the Emperor, and then turned away from him, only to hear the Emperor's voice once again.

"When did he start his insurgency?"

Startled, Arpineius looked down at him. "Two days ago."

The Emperor shook his head, but was not unhappy with them. "The same day I told the son of a bitch to leave personal matters to themselves?" he asked in disbelief, gritting his teeth against his anger. Seconds later, he stood on his feet, walking slowly over to the men. "And I receive this news the same day I make a speech to a legion that disperses after five minutes like I was nobody!"

Julianus could see fear in their eyes now as the men shuffled backward against the Emperor's relentless advance. "I just want a day of peace!" he yelled, spit spewing from his lips.

"Oh, we're sorry, Caesar," Considius said, his tone as scared as it had ever been. "We didn't think Pulcher would have the nerve to continue his pursuance."

The Emperor stood in silence a moment then closed his eyes. "He had the nerve to kill an Emperor," he whispered, tears on his cheeks. "From Commodus to Pertinax, this man had to be corrupt to live through both their reigns."

After a long moment of silence, as though the Emperor's words had to filter through both their minds, Arpineius sighed. "What are you going to do?"

"You-" Julianus whispered at Arpineius, jamming his index finger into his chest. "... are going to be leader of the Praetorian Guard," he said quite easily, his words making Arpineius feel much more comfortable than he was a second ago, assuming he might get punished.

Arpineius stood in shock, feeling honored and shy at the same time. His eyes were closed, as if he were hoping to open his eyes and wake up in his bed, but he knew he was conscious because he smiled slightly when he felt Considius shaking him playfully.

"Did you hear that? You're leader now, man!" Considius said.

Julianus enjoyed their happiness. "Just make sure you obey my orders," he reminded Arpineius. He rested his hand on Arpineius' shoulder and was silent for a long moment. "Pulcher disobeyed my order. Because of his incompetence, he will be removed immediately from the Praetorian Guard."

To Arpineius' credit, he managed not to smile. "I think he is going after them because he saw them long ago at the scaffold. He felt it was his fault they got away. Pulcher thinks it his obligation-"

"It would seem that way, Arpineius," the Emperor said, his eyes shifting to Considius. "But he is taking justice into his own hands. He is abusing his power far too much."

Considius frowned. "How are we going to find him? He could be in another city as we speak." He turned a kindly eye to Arpineius. "Wouldn't you agree, leader?"

"Certainly," Arpineius said.

Julianus looked at Arpineius and was so hesitant to give him the order that his headache went from soreness to throbbing. Somehow, he told Arpineius firmly, "I want him killed on sight."

Arpineius could not help looking out the window. It was beginning to snow. He continued staring out the window, enjoying the beauty of snow that hadn't came down for weeks. If he could just rest his eyes there for a few minutes.

The Emperor's eyes widened. "Arpineius?"

Arpineius glanced at the Emperor. "Yes, Caesar. I will do as you ask."

"Arpineius," Julianus continued. "I want you not to tell anyone what

I told you. I recommend you send a messenger to Pulcher, telling him there is urgent news. Upon his arrival, ambush and kill the bastard." His hands moved from Arpineius' shoulder to his sword in its case attached to his armor on his waist. "Make sure you use one of these. The same kind of sword that the Praetorian Guard used to butcher Pertinax."

It was too hard to keep a straight face and Arpineius finally smiled. He never got over the murder of Pertinax. At first he was open to the possibility of killing Pertinax, but after his death, all he felt was guilt. It was a incredible disservice to the Empire. Now the current Emperor was giving him full power to enact revenge on the man who was primarily responsible for the assassination. He would fulfill his request without question. "I will do as you ask, Caesar."

Considering that Arpineius' friend could leak information out, Julianus fixed the soldier a hard look. "Don't tell anyone about what we discussed." He glanced at Arpineius. "Only tell the Guard when you know where Pulcher is."

"Yes, sir," Arpineius retorted.

Both of the men were surprised to see the Emperor take a step back. "I will be in my Imperial Palace for the next week," Julianus said. "Assembling meetings with governors and generals and so forth. Even though I am not happy to hear the news you brought me, I am glad you told me. Have a good day."

The Emperor left the room quickly, and it became so empty after he left, Arpineius wondered if he had brought along with him every one of the scholars as well. I'm in charge, Arpineius thought, then smiled. "Pulcher will get what's coming to him, Considius," he said.

"Yes, he will," Considius said without thinking, then had the grace to smile. "So... this meeting turned out better than we expected, huh?"

"Considius, we were given an enormous responsibility," he said, and he could not overlook the concern he had in his voice. "I have lived my life always following orders. All that time, I have not changed. But what separates me from all the rest is that I'm willing to go that extra mile, to fulfill more than what is asked for. Do you know what I mean?"

There was a glint of understanding in Considius' eyes. "You killed that girl. At least you ordered her murder."

"If you're determined to get any job done, there has to be no hesitation, Considius. Remember that."

"I may need to go home and get some rest," Considius confessed.

"You do that. Meet me back at the Praetorian Camp tomorrow morning," Arpineius said. "At about six."

Considius nodded. As he was about to exit the library, a thought occurred to him. "So the guard won't know your leader yet?"

"Only the Emperor and you. We have to convince the Praetorian Guard to bring Pulcher back to the camp. That is when I will tell them."

"What if they don't believe you?" Considius asked.

"That is why I brought you." Arpineius thought for a moment, as though attempting to figure out how everything would be planned out. He eyed Considius with growing suspicion. I am dealing with a dim-witted, impressionable soldier who is far more naive than I ever will be, Arpineius thought. Yet he made the right choice. He sided against Pulcher and with him. Arpineius only hoped that Considius would not turn on him and betray their loyalty like he did with Pulcher. Time would only tell.

Brittany refused to fear the future. As the days passed since Xander's disappearance, she had discovered the impact that their relationship had on her. For two months, he was the best thing that ever happened to her. He was a kind, sweet, charming young man who always had his wits, even in the craziest situations. She didn't care about the risks going through time, because she knew it was worth it. It was for Xander and that was enough.

In turn, it appeared when Xander went through the portal with Buffy, he probably would've grown closer to Buffy. He rarely told her when he was with Buffy. Even the night he disappeared, when she called his cell phone, it took him a while to tell her he was at Buffy's. It was as if he'd try to cover up his cheating on her with Buffy, when he really wasn't cheating.

Brittany was no fool. She knew Xander had a thing for Buffy. Every time Buffy was mentioned to her from Xander, she could hear the sound of his voice and the see the look in his eyes. That is why she insisted each time that he had no involvement with her. In spite of her attempts to keep him away from her, Xander never took her advice. So it was not surprising when she was asleep in his apartment that he didn't care to tell her that Buffy had dropped in.

However, as the days went on without them, she began to hope that her jealously about the two would end. She didn't want to worry just like each girlfriend of Xander's probably had in the past.

She sat quietly on a couch inside Willow's living room, tired of pondering every motive she had for traveling in the past. Ultimately, Brittany intended on getting Xander back and keeping their relationship like it was. Of course, there were some things such as her sleeping with Willow and Giles that had to be resolved. She didn't want to beat herself on what she did because if Xander was alive with Buffy, Brittany doubted he wouldn't cheat on her. However, she never pondered the idea that Xander might be trying to keep his fidelity. She was too busy assuming he'd be cheating on her.

She eased into the couch, running a hand through her black hair. Willow's house had became her new home, she decided. The rugs were worn and the furniture past its prime, but she knew it was home. Willow's parents seldom cared if she knocked or rang the door bell. She had taken for granted their hospitality like it was common. It wasn't. Not even Xander wanted her to just waltz in.

For a moment, she relaxed peacefully, tempting to go back upstairs into Willow's room. The materials and setup for the spell were already done. Her hard work of carefully placing each material in the right spot and direction made her exhausted. However, if she had to do it again, she would. It was better than waiting for Willow and Dawn.

It was already close to eight o'clock. She was beginning to think that the two might not come at all.

The front door opened.

"Finally," Brittany muttered. She rose from the couch and walked towards the front door.

When she reached the front door, she saw Willow and Dawn standing in the doorway. Willow was first through the opened door. Her smile was full of confidence, and the moment her eyes landed on Brittany's, she gave her a nod. "Everything set?"

"Yes, we're all ready to go," Brittany acknowledged.

Willow released her breath with a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she said with more kindness than what Brittany expected.

Then Dawn entered the room. She appeared gravely concerned. She looked at Brittany. Xander's girlfriend smiled at her.

Dawn didn't see any sign of uncertainty on Brittany's face. Her one hope was that either Willow or Brittany had the same fear she had about going back in time.

Dawn closed the door as she entered.

"How are you Dawn?" Brittany asked.

"Good," she answered. She gave Brittany a dismissive turn as she walked past her. "How should I feel when I'm about to travel back in time?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Dawn. I was just trying to make conversation," Brittany said.

"We can do that later," Dawn said. "After we get this time portal stuff over with."

Willow walked through the living room. Hoisting her backpack up, she looked around. No one else was home. Now would be a good time to start the time portal, she thought. She began her way up the stairs, taking her time.

"Willow, wait up!" Dawn called from behind the experienced witch. Willow turned around and saw Dawn coming up the stairs. "You know about what we're doing and everything?" Dawn asked as soon as she caught up.

"Yes, I already told you everything you needed to know, Dawn," Willow said.

They were nearly at the top of the stairs when Brittany popped around them and beat them to the top. Both Dawn and Willow stopped. "Let's hurry and start the spell. We're beyond schedule," Brittany said.

When Dawn and Willow followed Brittany, Dawn caught Willow's arm. "You feel okay doing this?"

The patience on Willow's face faded. Her glance quickly went to Dawn from her room. "Yes. I trust my ability... no matter how unbelievable that sounds."

After a moment of silence, Willow and Dawn continued down the hallway and went through the open doorway into Willow's room.

The moment the two entered Willow's room, Willow turned to Dawn. "Dawn, I want you to sit where the red rune is at." Then she turned to Brittany, who was already standing near the door. "Brittany, you know where to sit. The black rune."

Dawn walked around the white-chalked circle that would be their passageway to the year 193. Inside the circle were many witchcraft materials sprawled around the floor, rivers of stones and leaves organized neatly across the diameter, candles placed at every ninety degrees around the circle, and three different colored runes placed in a "v" along the edges of the circle. When Dawn finished examining the materials there, she said, "I guess that we're not taking along all these things when we travel, right?"

Willow and Brittany exchanged uneasy glances. "Yes," Willow answered. "We hope not."

"It should just be us," Brittany added. "I mean unless there's living things in the materials."

"Why isn't there an easier way to go back in time? Like drive 85 miles per hour in a Delorean?" Dawn asked. When Brittany and Willow did not answer, she sighed. "Okay, I sit where the red rune is." She found her spot and removed the rune, replacing it with her butt. "Why circles?"

Willow stared at Dawn. "Two reasons... One is to keep all the magic and time travel forces contained in one area. The other reason is to protect ourselves from any outside forces. It provides us with safety when we travel."

Glancing at her watch, Dawn took a deep breath. "Time is wasting. We need to hurry up and find Buffy and Xander."

"I agree," Brittany replied, walking over to her spot where the black rune was.

Willow allowed herself a brief smile as she reached her spot where a white rune lay. She stared at the circle one more time to double-check if everything was in order. She did not believe anything would go wrong. Her true power of witchcraft had improved every year and there was no reason to worry about what would happen. She picked up the rune and threw it aside. Then, slowly, she sat down where the white rune was.

A collective sigh rose up from around the circle. Willow studied Brittany and Dawn's expressions. All of them were nervous. Willow was partly nervous as well. She was not positive that they would all return in one piece back in Sunnydale. However, she would not let her nervousness show. The girls trusted her with the witchcraft and it would be wrong for her to look insecure about jeopardizing their lives with time travel. Other than that small bit of uncertainty, Willow was confident and ready to go.

"Shall we begin?" Brittany asked.

Willow grinned. "Yes. We've delayed it long enough."

The back door creaked open slightly. Only one person entered like that, without warning. Xander held his bloodied wooden sword in his hand, and he hastily shoved it into its case at his hip, removed his shoes, and headed into Silanus' home.

As Xander walked around the living room, he tried to work out the last of his cramps in his legs, hoping to be in his original condition. Although he had been in many battles in Sunnydale before, he was sure that what he had just done against Balventius was different than anything he's faced before. He recognized the incomparable danger he was in the second Silanus told him about the fight. The fact that he had so much time to plan and prepare gnawed at him the most and made it the most difficult fight he's faced.

When he pulled open the door into the dining room, he saw a trim red and green shawl lean over a pile of books covering a table as Xander stretched his arms. Xander decided on the spot that one of the three women Silanus had with him the night before was at the house at the present moment.

It could have been nothing but butterflies, which might have explained his cautiousness towards moving around the house, but he had a feeling who it was. It was an unwanted notion. He felt that it was probably Antonia, Duratius' wife, who was there.

He couldn't imagine how an attractive young woman could have gotten with a fifty something year-old man, unless there was more to it than just sex or lust.

Xander's stomach knotted tightly at what he thought was happening, and tried to escape his conscience by taking refuge in the fact that if Silanus was sleeping with Antonia, he would easily tell Duratius where his wife was and Silanus would be a dead man.

Xander remained focused on the shawl above the books. He wasn't in the mood to investigate who's shawl it was or why it was there. What Silanus does in his personal time is none of my business, he thought. But for some reason, like when he scooped up Spike's leather jacket on the bottom of Buffy's stairway years ago, he felt like he had to know who's it was. Something could be wrong. He reached for the shawl and touched it.

Before he could analyze further, something screamed from upstairs. The cry was eerie and disturbingly familiar. It seemed to be a wail of a woman crying for help. "That son of a bitch," he said, biting his lip. He realized that Silanus could be raping or even worse, killing, a woman upstairs.

Xander turned and raced out of the dining room, heading towards the stairs. Although he had a feeling that he could take Silanus with his fists, Xander pulled his wooden sword out from his case. The screams continued and the louder they became, the harder Xander ran.

He headed up the stairs as the roar of the screaming began to diminish. The pain was gone from his legs, but his nervousness continued, leaving both of his legs weakened. With a cramp approaching, Xander slowed down slightly.

When he reached the second floor, he knew exactly where to go. He counted two or three rooms to the right and then Silanus' room, where he directed his energy into getting there.

Even if he was too late, he would have time to get Silanus before he left. There was no way for him to escape. Xander wiped a hand across his face, hoping to shield himself from the soon to be broken door, and tried his hardest to gain enough strength in his weakened right leg. Before he would knock down the door, he reminded himself to help the woman first, before attacking Silanus. 

Pausing in front of the door to take a deep breath, he made a silent prayer. Then, he charged forward, slamming his right foot hard into the center of the door. One of the splinters shot out at his shoulder, while the rest of the door broke in half, falling forcefully ahead into the room. He took the splinter in his shoulder bravely and darted into the room.

Xander's eyes caught sight of the bed in the room and cursed his own stupidity.

"That was unnecessary and quite cruel, Xander," Silanus said, turning his naked body from the bed sheets towards Xander. "What was the need for the big entrance?"

"I thought... someone was in danger..." he said. He bent down to rub away the pain in his right leg.

"Who... me?" a familiar voice asked from under Silanus.

Xander looked up to see who said that. He was surprised and heartbroken at what he saw under Silanus' arms.   
"Antonia..." Xander began, trying to choke down the pain in his throat.

"I'm real sorry if my orgasm frightened you-" and she stopped. Clearly something she saw had occurred to her.

Xander let his eyes glide over her exposed breasts, linger further down. Her naked body was glistened with sweat from head to toe. "It's alright," he said, lowering his head. He glanced at Silanus. "I suppose I should leave you guys to yourselves."

Antonia stared at him, eyes dark. She could tell he was surprised, which was most evident. What she most importantly saw was hurt in the look of Xander's eyes. She doubted any man deserved to be better treated more than Xander. Antonia hooked the blanket around her fingertips and slung it over her body. Then she motioned to get up from the bed, but Silanus held her down.

"Where are you going?" Silanus asked, beaming with a smile.

"I just wanted to-"

"Let him go. We're not finished," Silanus said softly, kissing her. He was infuriated that Antonia wanted to see him after he just broke down his door. She'd be damned if she chased after him, he decided. That was one thing certain in his mind. Xander was not going to interrupt his sex.

Silanus jerked her down against the bed and kissed her hard, taking her mouth in again and again, driving his tongue rhythmically into her mouth.

Antonia's eyes slowly opened, and now the sadness of hurting Xander had been forgotten. She eased into him and captured his mouth with hers, with a certain sweetness, a passionate kiss.

Xander walked aimlessly down the hallway, trying hard to feel as if what he saw had not affected him. But it had. What he saw was his fear of rejection and fear of what Buffy could be doing in her free time. She was a mature young woman, he thought. Why would she choose Silanus?

Xander crossed the hallway into his room, approaching his bed. His knees began to quiver and then buckle. His shoulders bent as though two-hundred pound weights were leaning on them. With his hands unable to hold onto his wooden sword, he dropped it, letting it fall beneath his feet. Abruptly, he fell onto his bed.

The pressure of his fight with Balventius and what he saw in Silanus' room was too much to bear. He wanted to escape everything; Sunnydale, Rome, Cimberius, and even Buffy. He closed his eyes and struggled to go to sleep.

Willow glanced around the strong currents of air surrounding the circle. It almost looked like they were immersed in a tunnel of swirling heat. All throughout the room bursts of flame and light flashed across the walls, causing Brittany and Dawn to scream in fright. Willow did not flinch. She continued reciting the Latin chant, similar to the one she used to restore Angel's soul the first time.

Taking long, deep breaths of air and trying to ignore all the turmoil around them, Dawn closed her eyes, blinking hard to clear away the tears of fright coming down her cheeks. She became aware that what was going on could be wrong and that there was a possibility she might die. Groaning she gave up any hope of maintaining her composure and covered her face with her hands.

It seemed like the spell was going on for an eternity, with the irritating noise of the wind blowing and materials smashing against the wall each second. Willow noticed through all the hectic witchery that a small burned piece of birch was beginning to light on fire. I have to get this done soon, Willow thought.

She made her way through the practiced Latin chant and was only a few more sentences from causing an explosion that would send them to the year '193'. From the looks of things, it seemed that their impatience to get the spell done had backfired. Some things were out of place to begin with and were things that Willow overlooked when she initially sat down to recite the chant. The misplacement of things had to be the reason the birch lit on fire prematurely.

Suddenly, there were some voices in the air and Willow could not tell if it was Brittany or Dawn speaking. The voices were interrupting her thoughts and the chant. Distracted by the voice, Willow halted the chant for one second and used all her strength to pull herself out of the spell. There were startled looks on both Brittany and Dawn's faces.

Willow breathed heavily and asked, "Who's the one talking?"

Brittany and Dawn both shook their heads.

"Not me," Brittany said.

"Me either," Dawn agreed.

"I see you're using that page of the time traveling book to its fullest potential," a hoarse voice said behind Willow.

Willow spun around, finding herself face to face with Giles. Her eyes widened, and she quickly stood up to block Giles from getting close to the circle.

Dawn and Brittany turned their heads and saw Giles standing in front of the doorway, wearing a thick brown overcoat. Although none of them moved, they both had an urge to move several steps back.

"Giles... w-what are you d-doing here?" Willow asked.

Giles laughed, sending more chills through Willow's body. "You think I'd let more of my friends disappear because of my foolish mistake?"

Willow frowned. "Mistake? So you did leave your bag at Buffy's by accident?" 

"I'm afraid you misjudge me, Willow. If it wasn't for Faith being drunk, I doubt I would have been so careless to leave my bag at Buffy's. I actually came back to her home to get it, but some other person made a mistake by taking mine..."

"Xander..." Willow whispered.

"Yes, Xander. It was unfortunate that we both had black bags," he laughed. "Even more so, Buffy had to pay him a visit that very night. If she had left the bag at her home..."

"She would have been safe," Willow concluded.

"Yes, so you can say it's Buffy who got herself in trouble."

"It's your fault." Brittany said.

Giles stared at Brittany for a moment, then Dawn, and finally back at Willow. "You bringing a whole crew with you to 193?"

"They all have a right to come," Willow said. Her heart started to pound. What was he up to?

"Why did you bring the bag in the first place to Buffy's?" Brittany asked.

Giles took a step forward, once again causing Willow to focus more on blocking him from penetrating the circle. "I wanted to show everyone what I managed to do with the portal. I guess you can say I wanted to show off..."

Brittany sighed, looked at Willow, then asked, "But why 193?"

Giles was annoyed. "Do I have to answer all your questions to prove that what happened to Buffy and Xander was not intentional?"

Willow turned to Brittany. "He chose the year because there was a civil war."

Giles looked impressed. "You did your homework."

Brittany gave Willow a hard look. "You didn't tell me..."

"You never asked," Willow responded.

"Brittany, you love to create problems don't you?" Giles asked.

"Bite me," Brittany said, her raspy voice sounding slightly annoyed.

"I like that attitude," Giles said. "It was very effective when we slept together."

Brittany glanced down to hide her embarrassment. When she looked up, she could see the look of disgust on Willow's face. "Willow... Look-"

"No." Willow shook her head. "You did not. You're better than that, Brittany." Her eyes grew heavy. While she was looking at Brittany, Giles walked around the circle and the materials all flung across the room.

"Why did you keep it a secret so long?" Dawn demanded to Giles.

"If you hit someone with a car by mistake, would you want to fill out the paperwork? That is how I felt..." Giles explained.

Willow sat down cross-legged in silence. She breathed in through her nose and let out her breath slowly, a sign she was infuriated.

Giles could see that the girls were tense. Especially the tension between Brittany and Willow. "Did they 'do it' too?" he wondered to himself.

Willow kept her face impassive, carefully avoiding the gaze of Brittany.

"We have to finish this spell." Willow's voice was like a bark. "More than half of the spell is complete. This must be finished!" Her voice rose. "We must get to the year 193!" She paused to collect her thoughts to begin her Latin words.

Giles waited, watching the girls in amusement. Before he arrived at Willow's he had reached the conclusion that he would not let them disappear as well. His disturbance of their spell was vital.

"Are you sure you girls know what you're doing?" he asked, leaning against the wall.

Dawn gasped in shock, as Willow was once again started chanting in the Latin language. She spoke with such anger and passion that Giles began to get freaked.

"Uh... Please stop this... You don't know what you're doing!" Giles protested.

At that moment, Willow had multiple visions running through her mind, and she couldn't tell which one was important. They rolled over like waves in her mind, each one stronger than the other.

She had no choice but to continue chanting, and wait like everyone else and see what would happen.

Giles stood in stunned silence. Willow's Latin accent sounded exactly like those of Italians who spoke the language. He had a feeling that she was close to finishing the spell.

Then suddenly her chanting stopped.

The end came quickly with a small flash of brilliant yellow light encompassing and expanding all of the room, slowly but surely engulfing the entire room. All of the women in the circle began to fade away, and anything surrounding the circle was thrown outwards.

Giles flew and collided hard against the wall. Once on the floor, Giles managed to look up through squinted eyes and see that there was nothing but a fireball left. "What the...?"

Giles wasn't sure if it was an illusion or real. But he was sure he could see a portal inside the fireball, of green fields and in the background, Roman buildings. It was almost like the portal was open for him to jump in. Giles struggled to his feet and was about to take his chances when in one sudden moment, the fireball exploded, causing him to smash into the wall again.

Splintering pain ripped through Giles' head. To his amazement, he was still conscious. He hurriedly got to his feet and opened his eyes. What he saw was shocking. The room was empty. 

He took a deep breath. "I guess they know what they're doing." Giles stared at the empty circle wide-eyed wondering if what he saw was actually real.

It was.


	16. Emptiness Within

Willow, Dawn, and Brittany were on their way into the city. Unlike the way they had hurriedly went through the spell, they were weary and taking their time for most of the walk. This should have meant as time for them to strengthen their bond, but Willow was quiet and despondent. That was no mystery to Dawn and Brittany. She was still shocked at what Giles had brought to the surface about his relationship with Brittany.

Willow still felt hurt about what Brittany had done. She thought Brittany and her had created a close bond since Brittany came knocking on her door in hope to having a better chance in finding Buffy and Xander. Why would she sleep with Giles, the man who caused this? Willow wondered.

Her thoughts overwhelmed her as they came to the front gates of the Roman city. Once they entered this city, they'd be in a whole different ballpark, Willow thought.

Brittany emerged from her side a few seconds later. She was pale, but calmer and more composed than she was minutes earlier at Willow's home. Brittany walked purposely ahead of Dawn and Willow toward the gates where some guard watchmen were gathered. One of the guards was adjusting his collar, while another was nursing his sword. Two other guards stood in a statue-like manner at both ends of the gate and Brittany slowed down her pace slightly.

Willow refused to look at Brittany. She glanced at Dawn. "You alright, Dawnie?"

"I'm alive," Dawn said.

Willow placed a hand on her arm. "It went better than I thought. The time traveling was easy and efficient."

Dawn looked at her questioningly. "I guess I was more afraid about not coming here," she said, her tone thick with bitterness.

"I'm sorry, Dawn." She realized that she was staring at Brittany ahead of her, and her attention quickly turned to Dawn's face. "We'll find Buffy and Xander. Even if we have to search every inch of the city."

"I know. It's just so hard." Dawn sighed. "Who would want to search for people we love in Rome of all places?" She paused to collect her thoughts. "When you found out about Brittany and Giles, I thought I'd lost you. I was so afraid you wouldn't get the spell done." She looked away suddenly as a thin tear slipped down her cheek.

Willow's reaction was surprisingly firm. "You can't be uncertain of the future, Dawn. With everything we've been through, I believe there will be some luck on our side."

"Luck? We'll need more than that."

"I studied everything about this city and its people, Dawn," Willow said. "That should help us for our survival and finding Buffy and Xander."

"So you know where everything is?" Dawn asked, wiping some tears from her eyes.

"No, not really," Willow replied. She pointed at the Coliseum towering over the city. "I do know the Roman Colosseum is over there."

Dawn turned towards Willow's direction and shifted her small frame to peer around some buildings. There the Colosseum stood massive and oppressive over everything else. No other building compared to the magnitude and aura that the Colosseum conveyed. She tried to recall what she had learned about the Colosseum. Apparently the only thing she did know was that it was an arena for gladiatorial combats.

"Do you think Xander's a gladiator?"

Willow raised both eyebrows. "You mean like in the movie, 'Gladiator'?"

Dawn's blue eyes widened. "Perhaps he was caught and bought as a slave?"

Willow laughed, directing her gaze at the front gate. "Let's get on into the city. I'm sure he's just fine."

Xander picked up his spoon, looking down at his food and occasionally at the few men seated next to him. Then he sighed, took some of the hot soup from the bowl with his spoon and put it into his mouth. He knew that what he was eating wasn't the best food in town, but at this point, he was beyond caring. He was still drifting in a state of shock, unable to believe that Antonia was having sexual relations with Silanus. He'd harbored a secret crush; that was supposed to become something more he felt, the perfect opportunity for him to fill in the emptiness of not having Buffy with him. Unfortunately, now what he had seen the night before had effectively made him emptier more than ever.

He weighed all possibilities of what to do the morning he woke up that would make him feel better. Silanus undoubtedly had plans for apologizing for what he did and making him feel comfortable, and it was quite likely none of them would include anything genuine. And that was why he left Silanus' to the camp early in the morning. He'd talked to some of the soldiers in the camp about what Silanus was doing, hoping that it would circulate around and reach Duratius. He did not want to get Silanus in trouble more than he wanted to talk to someone about how he felt. Cimberius would have been an obvious choice. Unfortunately, he had not seen Cimberius yet, and even if he did, he doubted that he would dispel the awkwardness they would feel. Cimberius still believed he had slept with one of the women, Xander thought, and he didn't want to speak with him with that on Cimberius' mind.

Wanting to avoid any unpleasantries over breakfast, he refused to glance up at the men seated next to him, not even breaking eye contact with his food when one of the men tapped on his shoulder to direct his attention to him. He ignored the man's kind words, wondering instead how the man could speak over the clashing of swords a dozen feet away. Casting a contemplative look at his soup and spoon, Xander cocked his head to the side and frowned. There appeared to be maggots in his soup. He had the stomach to taste it, but he had no wish to puke later on in front of the men.

The man that spoke to him suddenly gained Xander's full attention the moment he mentioned Cimberius. Xander's head snapped up, and his back straightened immediately.

"You only talk to Cimberius I see," the man was saying. "I am proud to say, along with my friends that I was a part of the men that beat up that son of a bitch." He paused to allow time for a reaction from Xander. "How can you make friends with such trash? He sold the army out by joining the Praetorian Guard."

Somehow he made it through all the statements about Cimberius without punching the man across the face. When the crowd around them began to filter out, he edged closer to the man, careful to make sure his threat was not heard by anyone else. Glancing around and trying not to look as nervous as he felt, he said, "I am proud to say, along with myself, that I will be a part of beating up the son of a bitch I'm talking to."

Xander's voice was sharp, and his dark eyes pierced through the man seated next to him. The man he spoke to actually paled at what Xander had just told him. My macho attitude is working better than I expected, Xander thought.

The man decided a subject change was in order. "Anyway, it's a much better day than it was yesterday. The snow came down unexpectedly, especially since spring just begun..."

The soldiers watched Xander in silence, waiting to see what he would do. "What is today?" Xander asked the man.

"April 1st," the man frowned in concentration, barely believing that Xander had not hit him.

Xander grinned. "April Fool's Day!"

"... April Fool's Day?" One of the men asked, along with the others, looking as though they thought the name was some kind of threat.

Xander rolled his eyes. "Of course you guys wouldn't know about it. Well, you can find me around the camp... I'm just going to go find that 'son of a bitch' Cimberius..." Xander grumbled, not noticing the men's incredulous gazes.

They thought he was crazy.

And still, he continued. "Who probably still hates me for supposedly sleeping with a whore... that's a laugh! If you were a lonely man without your lover and had the opportunity to sleep with a beautiful woman, you wouldn't refuse, would you?"

The men shook their heads.

"Then why would he have so much hostility towards me for doing that?"

Xander paused for a moment, remembering he had refused Silanus' offer. Even though it obviously wasn't a popular choice to others, Xander was still proud of his decision. For him, not sleeping with any of the women was a better pleasure than if he really did sleep with one.

"Cimberius probably was jealous you had sex and he didn't. That's something Cimberius is known for," another man said, ignoring the man beside him's warning glare.

Xander denied the implication softly. "I didn't have sex... with any of them."

The men stared at him in disbelief. "What?" one of them asked.

Xander looked at the men's faces with hints of regret. He nodded. "I chose to stay faithful to my woman back home. Cimberius doesn't trust me. I don't think it matters what I tell him..."

Suppressing the sadness that had been threatening on his face, Xander stood, glanced once behind him to see where Cimberius would be, and stepped over the muddy grass on his way in that direction.

He walked distractedly to a gathering in front of him, his black boots leaving prints in the mushy, wet ground. There, he entered the chaotic scene: Duratius, Gobannitio, and ten other warriors, cold vapor escaping their mouths as each talked.

"Here comes trouble," Duratius said, noticing Xander's approach.

"Have you guys seen Cimberius?" Xander asked as he came within earshot of Gobannitio and others.

"Like we're going to help this idiot," Duratius said under his breath, further adding loudly, "Haven't seen him. Probably around somewhere."

Xander reached up to shake hands with Duratius. "How's your morning?"

"Just like every other," Duratius said, raising his eyebrows and shaking Xander's hand at the same time.

Xander thought of his battle with Duratius in which he outwitted and outsmarted the brute, and Cimberius' words of Duratius not accepting defeat easily. Xander knew that if Duratius was hungry for revenge, he had to quell that appetite. He needed to be on good terms with Duratius, even though he knew the strong man did not have a liking for him.. He couldn't afford getting entangled in another conflict.

As he was being introduced all around, Xander found himself thinking that he was getting too friendly with the soldiers. By acting kind and good natured to the soldiers, he was damaging his tough image that he desperately needed in order to survive. For his brief stay in the camp, he had successfully pretended to be someone who could handle himself. If confronted by another soldier however, it could be a different story.

"Assuming you weren't here to befriend Duratius, I am wondering Xander, why are you here?"

Xander turned and his jaw dropped at the sight of his friend. "Actually, I was here to see you."

Cimberius clapped his hands once, then rubbed them together in anticipation. "Am I that important?"

Xander made a sour face. "Cimberius," he said. "When I tell you something, please believe it. I have no reason to lie to you."

Cimberius folded his arms around his chest and stared at Xander. "You're still in denial about sleeping with one of the whores."

Xander frowned at him. "I'm not because I never did."

"It's hard to believe that you're telling the truth," Cimberius said grimly. "Are you?"

Xander nodded. He did not feel like trying to convince him through words. It was time Cimberius saw, not hear, the truth.

Cimberius looked at his friend, who seemed so determined and resolute, and realized that he was telling him the truth. Such conviction to the truth made Cimberius suddenly uneasy. "Oh... I don't know why I made a big deal out of it," he murmured.

"I don't know why either. I understand you have a hatred towards corruption but even if I did sleep with one of women... people make mistakes, Cimberius."

"What if you were in my position?" Cimberius shot back. "I'm a soldier who puts moral actions above all others," Cimberius explained, expecting Xander to sympathize with his decision.

He didn't. The image of Cimberius slashing a sword through Acacia's chest was the main reason. "Are you afraid of being friends with someone immoral?"

"No-" Cimberius thought of the jealously he'd experienced when he assumed Xander had slept with one of the women. "I just don't want you going down that path."

Xander studied him a moment before saying, "I don't need a mentor. I need a friend."

Cimberius paused to collect his thoughts. Then murmured faintly, "I'm sorry for making judgements, Xander."

"Yes, well," Xander said, "that was yesterday, it's not something that should be discussed any further."

Cimberius nodded. "I had every intention of doing what was honorable, Xander."

"But it wasn't," Xander replied. He hesitated a moment and asked, "Care for a drink?"

Cimberius didn't know what to say. Eventually, he said softly, "I'd like that."

As Xander and Cimberius were walking into an eating area where many tables were scattered about, they could sense the place was deserted except a manservant carrying used trash coming up from their left. Xander walked beside a table, while Cimberius stood beside him, not saying a word.

"I do hope they have something to drink," Xander said, to break the silence.

Cimberius sighed. "I'm not sure how, as there is so many drinkers in this camp, but this place is empty. That is encouraging. Less drunken fools to worry about."

Xander approved of his practicality, but only to a point. He wanted to dislike drunken soldiers as much as any other man, who consumed drinks and acted foolish, embarrassing themselves in degrading manners. But he realized drinking was a great escape from pain and a good thing to have when one is on the downside of life. He knew firsthand after his cold feet on wedding way with Anya.

"Such a shame that there are so few people to drink with," Cimberius said.

"I know," Xander agreed. "I just ate here a second ago. Boy do those soldiers eat fast. I must say I didn't expect this place to be empty."

The manservant walking by pursed his lips, so Cimberius did the same. "I noticed that, Xander. I could not help wondering why everyone left so quick," the manservant intervened.

Cimberius looked startled. "Get back to work, slave."

Xander placed his hand on Cimberius' shoulder. "No, Cimberius it's okay. Everybody's allowed for an opinion."

Cimberius turned and frowned. "Where'd you get that crazy idea from? The Emperor?"

Practicality was definitely now an option for Xander, for he had seen Cimberius' underlying indifference to slaves exploited. "He is a slave, yes, but he breathes just like all of us. He is no different in that regard and should be treated as a human being."

"Thank you, Xander." The servant seemed to truly admire Xander's words, and rather surprised that anyone- especially a soldier- might come up with an idea like that at all.

It was like a shock of cold water to Cimberius. "Just like all of us? Why do you defend a slave who more than likely, a criminal?"

Xander suddenly smiled. "Have you ever known a slave personally?"

Cimberius wanted to respond yes, but that would be a lie. "I'm a soldier. I'm supposed to guard over the slaves, not be their friends."

Xander nodded. "That's why you hate them. You are ignorant like most soldiers."

Cimberius frowned in the direction of the slave. "You're calling me ignorant when you are from England, the same people who still think they are the Empire."

Xander raised a hand. "Let's not argue." Xander knew if he argued, his lie that he came from England to Cimberius would easily be revealed. Plus, he didn't want to fight right after he had reconciled with his friend. He glanced at the servant. "So, you have no idea where everyone went?"

Something caught Cimberius' eye and he looked over Xander's shoulder. "That seems to be the answer. Another wooden sword battle."

Xander turned to look. In the distance, two heavily grown men intertwined their wooden swords together sluggishly in between a massive group of men. "I'm glad I'm not involved. Three days of fighting would be exhausting. Wouldn't you say Cimberius?"

Cimberius didn't seem to care. He was focused on the wooden sword fight he could see through an opening of men assembled together.

"Cimberius!" Xander said.

Cimberius glanced at Xander. "What?"

"We came to get a drink," Xander reminded him.

"Yeah, but..." Cimberius paused under Xander's intensive, somewhat scary glare. "Alright, I'll get a drink."

Xander stared at the servant. "You got any rum?"

The servant's color rose. "Of course, sir."

Xander suddenly wanted to know why the servant had known his name, so he said, "I am puzzled to how you know my name."

"It's just that you are such a great fighter, sir."

Cimberius couldn't help but laugh. "Do you want an autograph, slave?"

Xander's smile showed relief. He was respected by someone. That's always a good thing, he thought. "Thank you..."

The slave gave Xander a confused look.

Xander realized the slave did not get his cue. "What's your name?"

Cimberius turned to eye Xander.

"Arcadius," the servant said.

Humor sparked in Cimberius' eyes. "You want to make a new friend, Xander?"

Xander was unwilling to argue with Cimberius and focused on the servant. "Arcadius, can you get us two full cups of rum?"

"Yes, Xander, I would definitely enjoy doing so," the servant replied, then walked away from both men, carrying the dirty plates in his hands.

Xander glared at Cimberius. "Human beings, remember."

Entering parts of Rome where most of the city was overcrowded proved less daunting than imagined. Dawn and Brittany trailed after Willow, surprised at how at home Willow moved on her feet.

They were on a cobblestone street, extending past a temple dedicated to Julius Caesar and construction of another temple across from it that Willow confirmed to be the Temple of Vesta. Both temples displayed huge marble statues in front, stairs preceding it, and a written slab on top of the temple, both written in Latin. Because Willow was well-acquainted with Latin through witchcraft, it was not hard for her to identify any building in the city.

Willow paused in a gloomy, dark shadowed area before a door to a huge complex. She peered through the many windows in the complex and saw a woman with a blanket wrapped around her in one window and a man staring outside with his arms crossed in another. A dozen different-colored seals lined the front wall of the building. A gold-colored door with a nameplate written in Latin was featured prominently in the middle of the wall. Willow stepped forward and read the nameplate out loud, "Terentia's Inn. Please enter for a room." She reached her hand down and tried the door, creaking it open slightly.

"Wait," Dawn said. "We need money to stay at the Inn. Roman money."

Willow nodded and stepped back. In the city, the idea of acting like you are a Roman had its limits. Without any Roman currency, and about to enter an Inn, they could stir up trouble and be ridiculed by the hotel. The consequences of being noticed without Roman money was too great to be overlooked.

"Maybe staying at a hotel isn't such a great idea," Willow said calmly.

"So where are we going to sleep? The streets?" Dawn complained. She grabbed the front door knob and twisted it, bringing the door open.

"No," Willow said.

"We'll just give them American dollars," Dawn said.

Willow glanced around nervously, knowing some bystander could see that they were foreigners and people that did not know anything about their culture. Only she did, and that wasn't enough to let them pass off as normal.

Dawn pushed the door open wider and looked at both Willow and Brittany. "You gals coming?"

Willow sighed. "Okay."

Willow reluctantly went inside, followed by Brittany, peering in as they entered. "Their currency is coins, not paper money," Willow told Dawn.

"So we'll give them quarters and nickels," Dawn said.

"I think our best option is to sneak into a room," Brittany suggested.

Dawn led the group into the Inn bravely, because she knew that they would find a way to sleep there no matter what.

"Then we'll wait until someone buys that room and finds us in it? Not the best plan..." Dawn said.

"Actually I think Brittany's plan can work. I can use my witchcraft to help our cause. Only if we can do it secretively and after we find a room," Willow admitted.

Brittany came in and shut the door behind them. "I hope you're right about that, Willow."

Willow stared at the owner standing behind a desk. "Me too."

Xander took a moment to collect himself. Dreary and dehydrated, both for him and Cimberius. The wind rattled the camp but it was the wooden clinging of wooden swords that shook him and the rhythmic melody the swords had that he felt in his ears. Both of the soldiers fought in a slow, menacing manner, almost choreographed. No one could tell when one would make the decisive and final blow yet there still was a sense that one knew what the other was doing. Every swing was a block and anticipated move.

He remembered one move he made outside a jail days ago. Buffy had just broken a guard's neck and made a joke about one of the other dead guards, poking fun at him. But then the last guard, carrying a shield, cocked back his spear, and threw it at him at full force. He almost felt that now, a brush of death, pounding adrenaline to the drinking of the rum.

He swallowed, straightened in his chair, and returned to finishing the last bit of rum in his cup.

Xander was sitting in one of the two chairs at a table directly behind the sword fight. Cimberius was in the other.

Xander could not recall the last time he had spent a quiet, peaceful morning. If he was not facing the violence in front of him, he'd know that this moment would be the best in his stay in Rome.

The fall of one of the men fighting was a relief, though Xander wasn't sure if the man was spent or stumbled. He hoped the man was spent. If the fight went on much longer, he realized that he would ask for more rum. It did not help that the rum was so addicting that it left him dry-mouthed, wanting more.

"Tell me how you saved Buffy from her hanging," Cimberius said.

"It's a long story."

Cimberius halted his cup between his lips. In the past, he had thought the subject not important, but he was disappointed about that. Deep down, he wanted to know how Buffy had escaped her hanging.

Xander colored slightly. "Let's just say that I don't know how to put it in words. That's how surreal it was."

Cimberius knew Xander was probably not going to tell him in detail what happened, but he persisted anyway. "Why don't you just tell me?" he asked briskly. "I know that many of the Praetorian Guard and Rome will probably never know. Why not allow a small exception?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"So you got into the scaffold and held her up when she was hung?"

"I guess it's far more obvious than I imagined..."

By the time they had both drank all of their rum, they were talking about different scenarios that could have taken place at the scaffold and Cimberius was no longer trying to find out more about the hanging. He was fascinated at what Xander had explained to him. "You got thrown around by guards and still managed to sneak in the scaffold? You're even more courageous than you are perceived."

"I think you can call it recklessness, rather than courage."

"Yet you saved Buffy from certain death," Cimberius said, placing his cup down on the table. "Consider this. Such a reckless act defies the Roman justice system and infuriates all of the politicians. There is no wrong in that."

Xander pushed aside his cup, frowning at his goofy grin. "You think recklessness is good? Look what happened to the last Emperor..."

"I call it ignorance and stupidity."

"Oh you do...?"

"Pulcher made us believe Pertinax was aligned with the Senate against us."

"And you guys bought into it?" Xander asked.

"Pertinax had executed a Praetorian Guard soldier before. We didn't know what to think."

Xander was instantly interested. "Did you approve of the assassination?"

Cimberius glanced at the soldiers still fighting with wooden swords so Xander could not see his expression. "No."

"So that explains why you left... ah...," Xander said with twitching lips.

He turned to look at Xander. There was a deep sadness in his eyes. "The Praetorian Guard is corrupt, Xander."

Xander nodded, deep in thought.

"Being here makes me feel honorable," Cimberius continued. "At the Praetorian camp, I felt like a criminal."

Xander caressed his jaw. "I can understand now why men here hate the Praetorian Guard so much."

"The Praetorian Guard has immense power. It is easy for others to dislike them."

Xander nodded, then found his attention wandering over to the wooden sword battle, seeing that one man had fallen to the ground and was motionless. He knew his peaceful, interesting conversation with Cimberius was suddenly now over. "Well, there goes our relaxation."

Cimberius looked at the crowd dispersing towards them. "Damn it."

Staying near the wall and creeping down the hallway, Willow, Brittany, and Dawn reached the first room in the Inn. Willow prayed that none of the three would be dumb enough to try the door. Wearing a red blouse and a black tank top, Willow hoped that no one would see her. She figured the Romans were not forgiving to those who were different. The only thing that Willow had that resembled a Roman was her messy curls. 

Her mission was to find a vacant room in the Inn and cast a spell to shield themselves from any outside interference. Willow wanted to have the shield as a surprise, leaving it unknown to both Dawn and Brittany. Willow hoped upon reaching the last few rooms that no one was lying in wait in the chosen room.

When Willow reached a door at the end of the hallway, she decided to choose that room as the one they'd try. She opened the door and Dawn and Brittany followed in, walking on the tiptoes of their shoes. While Willow was carefully closing the door, Brittany shook her head when Dawn tried to speak. Glancing over to Brittany, who was already inside the room, Willow realized that the room was vacant. She sighed in relief and removed her shoes from her feet.

Willow heard no one coming- their entrance had been successful, no doubt. She wasn't worried that she could do the shield protection spell. She had taken care of the first part of her mission and now she would take care of the other part. Willow backed away from the door, straightened up, and began reciting the chant.

"Do you think we're safe?" Dawn asked.

"Well I think that's what Willow is trying to do right now, Dawn," Brittany commented, watching in awe at Willow chanting away practiced lines by heart.

I have already done it, Willow thought. She reached and felt the wall beside the door. It was lined with a electromagnetic fields. She reached through and could feel that her hand was going through the wall. Good. The electromagnetic field would block away anyone that tried to enter... except us, Willow observed.

"What'd you do?" Dawn asked suddenly.

"A shield protection spell," Willow said. "It protects us from anyone that tries to enter."

Brittany fell silent for a moment, thinking. Then she raised her head and asked, "How do we go through it?"

Willow looked almost guiltily at Brittany, who smiled at her and sighed peacefully. "We can enter and exit through it as we please. I made the field for only those in our time."

Dawn laughed in the way women do when they are told something they cannot quite believe. "So the Romans cannot get in here?"

"Yes," Willow said quietly. "Just us and possibly Buffy and Xander... if they're alive."

"Witchcraft can be useful at times after all," Brittany said.

"It is not as bad as people make it out to be," Willow said. "I feel wonderful guys. I could use this witchcraft anywhere."

"That would be a bad idea-" Dawn began.

Brittany was shaking her head. "Once is enough," she said. "But thanks very much for that spell."

"Aw, thanks," Willow said, and then flashed Dawn a grin. "We're going to have a good time here. I know a lot about the Roman culture and people, so we're fine."

Dawn nodded, agitated. "I know!"

Brittany corked an eyebrow at Willow. "You do?"

Willow nodded. "In my free time, I wasn't busy banging Giles," she said, eliciting a frown from Brittany.

"Look Willow, I'm sorry," Brittany said with deep feeling.

"I can't believe you did that," Willow said as she walked further into the room and toward the bed where she would be sleeping on. She touched the bed with one hand. "I also can't believe how soft this bed is."

"Can I jump on it?" Dawn asked, excited.

Both Willow and Brittany exchanged glances.

The spectators from the wooden sword battle took their places on the tables next to Xander and Cimberius. Balventius had by now sat on a wooden bench at the head of one of the tables. His decision to sit there made Gobannitio and the victor of the wooden sword battle swiftly accompany him. Duratius was the only one of the massive group who did not sit. Instead he trotted around the tables, looking far too energized to sit down.

Xander watched as Balventius made a sign of The Cross, and the others at his table followed his lead. They folded their hands and bowed their heads. "Bless us thy lord, for the food and drink for which we are about to receive," Balventius recited.

There were an ensemble of "amens" throughout the tables.

Xander looked at Cimberius. "I thought these people were polytheistic."

Cimberius licked his dry lips. "The soldiers are different than the common people, Xander. We are more free in our religion."

"I didn't know Christianity spread that fast," Xander said.

"Oh it was here long ago." Cimberius frowned. "I personally think religion is an easy solution to our problems. But..."

"But what?" Xander wondered.

Cimberius shrugged. "There are always two sides of war. We feel that we are fighting on God's side, but for all we know, God could be on the other side as well."

Without speaking, Xander tilted his head to the side and watched the festivities grow around them. Bread began to be sent around the tables, along with bowls that were passed on to each soldier. Some immediately ate in craving silence as soon as the food was passed to them. Gobannitio rummaged through his bread, picking a part delicate pieces so he could enjoy his food. Once he was done, he passed the bread over to Xander.

"Thank you," Xander said suddenly, snatching a portion of a few slices of bread. He glanced at Cimberius. "This sure beats what I had earlier for breakfast."

"Oh what did you have!" Cimberius exclaimed, his light eyes wide with sarcasm. "Eggs? Soup?"

Xander nodded, chewing on his piece of bread while handing the other slices to Cimberius. "The latter. There were maggots in the soup." He swallowed, then tore a hunk of bread with his teeth. "It was gross."

Cimberius' thick brows knitted into what he knew from experience of getting dirty food. "That's unfortunate."

"I can see how most of these soldiers are so rugged," Xander added grimly.

"It is not as bad as you think," Cimberius replied with assurance. "We are given plenty of rations. The shit you ate earlier would be replaced by the meal you had hours later. It's your imagination that makes it awful. Maggots taste pretty good..."

"Stop it!" Xander said with emphasis. "That is gross. Not to sound teenager-like," he added sarcastically. "But you have no idea how gross that is. I actually had to hide from those things."

Cimberius laughed. "Hide?"

"Yes!" Xander swore, his face serious. "There was this bug guy... well never mind, you'd think I'm crazy."

Cimberius wagged his head, trying to chuckle but unable to muster genuine humor. "I don't know, Xander, you seem like an intelligent man... I just don't see how you could be considered crazy..."

"Oh he is!" a man from a nearby table yelled, eliciting laughter all around.

Xander looked at the man who spoke and realized it was the same man whom he had spoken with at breakfast. "Crazy, huh? I guess I am," Xander said with a patronizing smile. He glanced at Cimberius. "I'm crazy."

"Yes I guess," Cimberius laughed, chewing on his bread.

Brittany peeked inside a tavern. She was trying to eavesdrop on what Willow was saying to one of the bartenders inside but it was difficult to overhear over the noises.

"Any idea if they had heard of them?" Dawn asked, leaning her head over Brittany's shoulder.

"I doubt it," Brittany stated matter-of-factly. "Willow doesn't look too happy and the bartender looks like he is cleaning the dishes."

"Oh, okay..." Dawn only shook her head. "We'll have to search some more."

Brittany abruptly noticed Willow's dreadful face as she walked over to them. She glanced at Dawn. "Here she comes." Then she faced Willow who came outside. "They didn't hear about them?"

"No..." Willow said nervously as she backed out onto the street, the back door swinging softly.

Worried, Dawn nudged Willow's shoulder. "Are you sure?"

"Yes... The bartender said he never heard of those names," Willow said sadly, sliding her elbow away from Dawn.

Brittany bit her lip. "Somebody has to have heard of them."

Willow lowered her head. "He didn't know."

"There's others in the bar you can ask... We have to find out if they're alive!" Brittany said impatiently.

"I don't want to arouse suspicion from people in the bar. I'll ask others in the city."

"You never know if one of them inside knows them," Dawn pointed out with a smirk. "Someone in there could be good friends with one of them."

"I don't think Buffy and Xander would make friends out here, Dawnie," Willow told her.

"Let's keep on searching," Brittany interjected, "I don't want to waste a day out here without knowing where they are." To Dawn, she added, "It's okay, sweetie. Buffy can handle herself with Xander a lot better than I could. They're fine, I promise you."

Dawn glanced at Willow, then at Brittany with a slight turn of her head. "I hope they are."

Xander drank down some water in his cup and felt a cool sensation he hadn't felt in days. He realized that it was not just the water that made his body tingle. "Buffy," he thought. He wondered what the slayer was doing as he sat there amongst a group of brutes. He felt like hurrying out of the camp, getting on a horse and then go to see her but he wouldn't give himself the satisfaction of leaving his friend Cimberius alone. Instead he would stomach the hardships of life at the camp until hopefully one day it would be over.

After he was finished drinking his water, he looked straight into Cimberius' eyes, "Ready to go back into training, friend?"

And with some urgent steps, he and Cimberius returned to the area where he confronted his friend earlier in the morning. He said good morning to some of the other soldiers and put on his armor.

By now, he was more than ready to began the day's training, but the other soldiers were still eating and socializing back at the eating area. So he kept himself busy by adjusting his armor and cleaning the dirt from its covering. After that, he went a little deeper into the camp and practiced with his own wooden sword, fighting imaginary enemies as if he was a child again.

Cimberius chuckled slightly as he headed over to where Xander was swinging his wooden sword. "I was beginning to wonder how you got all your moves..."

"All Instinct." Xander stepped to his side, reached out his sword and jabbed it into the air as if it were someone's chest.

"Instinct?" Cimberius asked. "You beat Duratius and Balventius by instinct? No. Tell me friend, where did you learn these skills?"

Xander blinked twice, and with what seemed to be an effort, brought his gaze back to Cimberius' face. "To be honest, I don't know," he said. "Not everyone needs training, Cimberius."

"To be as good as you are, they must have had some sort of training."

Xander shook his head, breathing hard. "I got lucky... stop telling me that I'm this good fighter..."

"If you don't want me to, I won't," Cimberius assured him, a grim tone in his voice. "Eventually though... you will have to accept your skills."

Xander found himself stopping the swinging of his wooden sword. He took a few steps back and glanced at Cimberius. "What do you mean?"

Cimberius' face softened a bit. "Remember why you are here, Xander," he said. He took a deep breath, exhaling it quietly. "Soon you and I shall return to Rome and get revenge for the deaths of Acacia and Illeana."

"Don't mention those names!" Xander snapped.

Cimberius lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

"I don't want revenge! I am in no position to punish them for what they've done!"

Far in the back of Cimberius' mind, a warning bell went off. It was the way that Xander said it that sent him on the defensive. "Then Illeana and Acacia have died in vain. There will be no justice for their murders."

"How about if I killed you? Would that be justice?"

"I... no it wouldn't," Cimberius said, choosing his words carefully. "I've changed-" He paused. Xander had turned completely away, his eyes gazing out into the sky. It was apparent that he did not believe what he had just said. "It's true."

"You might have once been a vicious cold blooded assassin of Pulcher's and even if you have changed, you will always be that vicious killer," Xander muttered, running his free hand down the wooden sword to the sharp tip. "It is ridiculous to think one can be forgiven for a murder."

Cimberius stood silently, stretching out his senses. "You don't have to forgive me for what I did, Xander," he told him.

"I won't."

Cimberius had already sensed the sudden drop in Xander's anger. "I don't think we should prolong our stay just because you think you are not ready," he warned.

"I wasn't planning to." Xander pointed to the gate where the only place where people could come and go was. "If I could right now, I would leave this place."

"Then why don't you?"

"I'm not ready," Xander said, reluctantly looking away from the gate. "You're not ready also."

"Then we might as well get moving because I don't want to stay here much longer."

Xander frowned at him. "You think I do?"


	17. At Last

Two Days Later  
April 3, 193

There were a sudden sound of heavy footsteps outside the Clodius family door, and the woman jerked at the insistent, masculine knock. The cat inside the house pricked up its ears and darted into a dark corner. Alarmed, the woman stopped knitting her clothes and dropped the pile of wool onto the floor. She stood up and went to the door.

When she opened it, a man rushed past her as though she did not even exist.

"We're using your home," the man told the woman. Then seeing a table near a fireplace, he smiled. He turned and called his men. "We got a room!"

The man was dressed appropriately for the chilly weather that day. His heavy lined winter cloak covered his clothes and brushed against the tops of his boots. Right away, the woman noticed the sword in his belt. When the man removed his helmet, she saw that his brown hair was drawn out, near his shoulders. He had a handsome face, clean shaven and square shaped, she guessed that he was in his late thirties. Under his arm he carried paper wrapped in a knot. He approached her and she straightened.

"Madam," the man said with a grin, "I'm a part of the Praetorian Guard. We serve the Emperor. We just received a message from a messenger inside Rome. You don't mind that we take a look at the message in your home?"

"No, absolutely," she said, a little offended by the calmness in his voice. A voice that seemed like he had been through the same kind of intrusion before.

Five to six men entered the household, nodding their head in respect to the woman. "I am Antistius, a member of the Praetorian Guard. We appreciate your hospitality," one man said to the lady. He rubbed his hands together for warmth and led the group of men to a couch near the table.

A little wary, the woman decided to ignore the men's kind glances. "I have a family here and I am making a meal for them," she told the leader, straightening up with dignity. "I ask you to not spend too much of your time at my home."

"As you wish," the man said.

Frowning, she moved around him and saw that the other soldiers were goofing around on her couch. "What is your name?"

"Pulcher." He came to her and gently placed a slender hand on her shoulder. "This will not take long, I promise you."

She flushed and took a deep breath, one reflecting her rising anger. "My husband is due soon and if he sees your men here..." She paused, looking away from him into the fire, and said so quietly that she almost whispered, "I don't have the time to deal with his frustration."

Pulcher looked her up and down. "You think I have the time to deal with yours? Don't you know that the Praetorian Guard is the single most powerful entity second to the Emperor in this Empire? Why you're just a housewife!"

Her eyes shot to him and felt anger surge through her. "I know you people," she said testily, nostrils flaring, "You killed Pertinax... I would rather be living under him than the new Emperor."

"Trust me, me too," he said with sincere conviction, "and I swear by faith that, with other's help, there will be a new Emperor to replace Julianus."

The woman burst into a grin, joy filling her spirit. "Better do that soon. I don't feel safe anymore with a politician as Emperor."

"Now if you don't mind, I will go read this message..." Pulcher said, walking over to the couch. "You can go about your..." He spotted the needles on the floor as he walked. "Knitting."

The grass was wet and himself, too, but Xander continued to walk down the streets of Gerasa. At least the road was relatively dry in the middle, unlike the hills behind the markets, so he knew that road would take him where he wanted to be. He'd simply look at Silanus' place close up- he and Cimberius had passed it on the road the previous night- and assess whether he was going the right direction. 

After his first day in Gerasa, Xander had ran four miles each morning. He realized that because of this, his stamina had increased tremendously compared to the past. He would sometimes walk long distances too, but he'd have to get used to walking instead of jogging. Today he was going to camp to see if Cimberius was around, and somehow, figure out how to escape and leave the city for good with him. He had to learn a little bit more about fighting-fast.

Looking through the entrance of the gates into the camp, Xander saw that it was still another active day of training despite the weather. Even from his far distance, Xander could see his friend Cimberius engaged in wooden sword combat, with an aggressive offense and cautious defense. The people watching the battle had to be having a riot because other than one on one wooden sword battles, the camp was a bore.

Staying in the middle of the road and away from the puddles surrounding him, Xander skirted the road until he was close to the gate. When he was at the gate, he stepped inside. He noticed on one end there was a desk stationed by Ariovistus and the other a target archery area where slaves were the targets. Although Xander despised the actions towards the slaves, he knew that he had spent too much energy for revenge for Acacia and Illeana that he didn't want to ruin the effort by arising a slave revolt. Xander knew he wasn't Spartacus.

All around the camp, from one side to the other, lay blood and beaten bodies. He saw severed heads, shriveled legs, and things he couldn't describe, including corpses lying in piles in the back corner of the camp. It was slaves.

In the end of the long strip of land in the camp, stood the majority of the soldiers that Xander was starting to believe were followers and people lacking any individuality. In the crowd behind the fighters was Duratius, chewing on tobacco. Xander laughed at the sight of Duratius' red face. He figured that Duratius must have been chewing tobacco for the first time.

Xander found a vacant corner not far from the wooden sword fight, and watched Cimberius intently as he fought.

"What do you think?" A soldier nodded in the direction of the battle.

Xander frowned. "It's much better than I what saw days ago. You?"

"It's a good fight so far, very brutal. I really like brutal fights." He took a step closer to get a better look at the battle. "Cimberius is pretty good. Former Praetorian Guard. Unfortunately, I don't think your friend will prevail in this battle. I think he is outmatched and rusty."

"Do you do wooden sword battles?"

"I could have gone today but my arms are sore." The soldier's eyes flickered slightly.

"I was just thinking about how much I want to leave this god forsaken place. Do you know when you can leave?"

Xander continued to stare at the combatants, their wooden swords swinging in the air, yelling encouragement to Cimberius who was taking his time to be more aggressive.

"I'm sorry," the soldier said at last.

"Sorry for what?"

"It takes months for us to be evaluated and sent out to different legions. Unless we are recruited here in Gerasa, we are stuck here..." the soldier struggled with his words.

"It's okay," Xander told him, his eyes not leaving the battle. "I think about leaving this camp every day. I just haven't had much time to discuss this with anyone. Except once and a while with Cimberius."

"I understand," the soldier said, not knowing what else to say. He understood Xander's sense of emptiness and need to leave the camp. At one time, he had that same feeling himself.

They watched the rest of the battle in silence, Cimberius' opponent winning decisively in the end. The camp eventually became loaded with grins and laughter, and soon every spectator had departed except Cimberius who laid on the field, shaken up by his defeat. He rolled over the ground, angered and upset, wanting to hide from it all. Xander walked over to his friend and knelt beside him.

"Soon we'll leave this camp, and we'll have a good drink, what do you say, Cimberius?" He lifted Cimberius to his feet, his upper arms baring most of the weight. "What got you involved in this sword fight?"

"What?"

"The sword fight. Were you scheduled to fight?"

"No. The bastard called me a traitor."

Xander shook his head. "A lot of people call you that. What makes that guy special than the others?"

Cimberius spoke easily, without bitterness.

"I knew him from when I first came into this camp, many years ago. He was always a good friend of mine, for as long as I can remember. I looked up to him." He took a deep breath, then turned to look at Xander. "I felt more betrayed by him than he felt to me. I always thought of him as above all the rest. Unfortunately, he was just like the others."

"You might think I'm lying, but I know what you mean."

"Sallust was five years older than me. He was like what I am to you." His smile showed signs of sadness. "A mentor and a friend."

"Are you okay? That fight looked pretty exhausting."

"I'll live. I needed to do this to get me in shape." He smiled and shrugged. "I don't know whether it will hurt more the next morning. Only time will tell."

"Like drinking."

Cimberius laughed, and the sad moment faded. "I guess. But I don't drink as much as you do, my friend."

"It was one night, Cimberius. If I could take back my first night here, I would."

Not wanting to coerce with the broad population who had just witnessed the battle, Cimberius led Xander to a different part of the camp.

"Here's a good time to get some training done. Let's get some archery practice." Cimberius put a hand on Xander's shoulder. "You never know when one day you might need to be an archer."

"You never know when one day we can leave this place." Xander forced a smile. "Lead the way."

Most of the Praetorian Guard knew most of the questions they had about the message were best left unanswered and to the Empire. Pulcher felt duty-bound to do what the request wanted. A secret resistance movement was forming in the city according to the message, and it was the Praetorian Guard's task to quell that uprising.

"This is much more important than the two lovers," Antistius was saying from the couch. "You should be proud the Emperor signed this letter."

One of the soldiers cut off Antistius before he could continue. "Our duty is to Rome. If there is another group that wants to overthrow the Empire, we cannot allow it. Our lives our at stake."

"Only we can overthrow the Empire," Pulcher laughed, half serious. He stood proudly, the only soldier standing inside the Clodius household. "These men have no right to take matters into their own hands. We will hunt them down, men! Don't leave a single man unpunished!"

"This information is all we need to kill them. Except, where do we go?" one of the soldiers wondered.

"We will certainly go to the camp and gather more men. The message practically implies that we are to go to the Praetorian Guard Camp. We will tell them that this is urgent and requires immediate action."

"Pulcher, sir," Antistius said from the couch.

Pulcher strode back to the couch, sensing what Antistius was about to complain about. "Antistius," Pulcher began. "I'm prepared to make you second in command. I don't want you getting involved in this escapade."

Antistius shook his head. "I knew you would say that. Let me arrest them, at least."

"We don't have much time, Pulcher," a soldier said evenly. "This message must have been written days ago. We must get back to the city."

"Something seems strange about this message. Be wary men," Pulcher explained. "Follow my lead right until we get to the camp."

"You men leaving so soon?"

Everyone turned to the wife of the family.

Most of the men nodded, while Pulcher and the woman traded uncertain glances.

"You'll be fine?" Pulcher asked the lady.

The woman shook her head. "It was a lot better with the protection of you men."

"I will make sure you will be rewarded for your kindness on my behalf," Pulcher continued, "and you repay me with a goodbye kiss."

"Too bad my husband is due anytime," the woman said over the giggling of some of the soldiers.

"He won't be here in time," Pulcher assured her.

The woman gave Pulcher a quick kiss as the Praetorian Guard filed out of her home. "That's all I can give you," she said. "Have a nice journey."

"Write me, will you?" Pulcher joked.

She nodded, playing along with his fairy tale imaginations.

"Pulcher!" some of his men called. "We must get moving!"

He took her hand and turned towards the door. "Keep good care of your family. In the end that is all you have." He slowly let go of her hand and backed out the door.

The woman stood by herself, waving, until the men rode out of sight from her home.

Willow stepped out from a weathered marble column. Walking away from the Temple of Vesta, she motioned to Brittany and Dawn at the bottom of the steps. They came up the steps to greet her with the anticipation of school children entering recess. As Dawn reached her, Willow wanted to check again to see if her Roman styled dress was distinguishable as truly being Roman. "The dress I took from the Inn is not so bad, after all. I wonder if the dress belonged to someone who stayed at the Inn?"

"Or is staying..." Brittany tacked on.

Willow took no notice of Brittany's cynicism. She just watched Dawn, her wonderfully woven dress creased at her thighs, projecting an erotic and unique appearance. "You look beautiful Dawn. I don't think anyone else would be that appealing with that on."

Dawn caught her breath. No matter what, Willow had made her feel uncomfortable, and a blush exploded onto her cheeks, heating them like an oven.

"I appreciate that, Willow I... I think it looks quite nice too..." 

Willow shuffled her feet to the side, allowing room for Dawn to stand beside her on the steps.

Slightly irritated, Brittany said, "Willow, I wonder why you would check a religious temple. Last I checked Xander and Buffy were not worshiping a god, let alone one named Vesta."

Willow felt it only fair to tell her the truth. "When people are in need, you'd be surprised at how quickly a religion can ease their pain."

Dawn's lashes rose. "I understand that reasoning."

Brittany put ice on her tone. "Two days, little food, and no sign of Buffy and Xander."

"In all honesty, I feel responsible about what happened that night when Xander left Buffy's."

Astonished, Brittany looked directly at her. "You do? Why?"

"I let him take the wrong bag and allowed Giles' bag to stay at Buffy's. If I had been noisy about what was in them, Xander and Buffy would not be gone, and they would have come after me instead which would be a better situation."

"Giles should have never brought the bag," Brittany said. "There can be no blame except towards Giles."

"I know that." Willow's chin jutted out. "I know it's Giles fault. But when you have this much time to yourselves, you reflect on what could have been and that bag was there for any of us to take. I was the only one that was there at Buffy's that night. You guys weren't."

Brittany put her hands on her shoulders. "We don't have time to mope about it. You would tell us the same if one of us was upset, Willow. I know I'm not much of an optimist, but I'll tell you, we'll been across more than half of this city. There's bound to be someone."

Willow shook her head. "There's millions of people in this city. It'd be like winning the lottery."

"My uncle won the lottery once," Brittany said.

"You told me once," Dawn clarified.

Slowly, Willow began to walk down the steps. "Did he?"

"Why would I make that up? I got a fair share of that money too."

"How much was the pot?" Willow wondered.

"2,000," Brittany said, then noticing Willow's unimpressed face, she continued, "It wasn't much but it showed that one can be lucky."

"If your uncle won the lottery of 2,000 dollars in a small town then that doesn't give me much hope-"

"Anything is possible in a city like this," Dawn said.

Once she reached the bottom of the steps and onto the cobblestone street, Willow turned towards her friends. "Buffy and Xander must have gotten involved with the law."

"I find that hard to believe.." Although Brittany couldn't have agreed more. "If so, then it would be a little too late to save them. They could be executed-"

"Or in jail. They're outsiders."

"So I fear. If we could think of anywhere else to check it would be the jail..." Brittany noted how easily it would have been for someone to arrest a fighter like Buffy or an offbeat personality like Xander's. She had come to expect that the two could be in jail but never fathomed that they would be checking a jail for their whereabouts. Restlessly, Brittany moved ahead of Willow and turned around to see the Colosseum towering above the temple. The Colosseum was darkened by the angle of the sun and all she could see was the silhouette of the structure.

She crossed her arms nervously. "Willow, where could we find some jails?"

"I'm sure there are many. A large population like this encourages crime," Willow answered.

"Not if there's executions," Dawn said.

"Let's not mention executions, Dawn. We have to be positive." Muttering to herself, she said, "Here I am saying it's my fault and about to give up and now I'm about to lead you girls into jail."

Brittany flicked a glance at Willow. "I kind of wished you gave up."

"Me too. I don't want to go to a jail," Dawn added.

Willow's voice softened. "We don't have much of a choice now."

Moving ahead of the girls, Willow confidently stepped away from them and walked firmly in one direction. Uncertainty was right ahead. The odor of the streets was strong and only she and her friends could imagine the smell of the jails they would see. Willow adjusted the dress she had on, taken from the streets the day before, straightened her shoulders, and continued down the road.

Dawn and Brittany each took a deep breath and shortly after, went after Willow.

A flutter of wind lifted the gold strays of hair off Cimberius' forehead. The cloudy afternoon smelled like smoke. The targets, human slaves, stood in a row on the far back wall.

"I'll wager ten Denarius he strikes the son of a bitch dead in the heart," one of the men watching Cimberius said.

"Nice attempt, Caelius, but your debt at home cannot be enough to pay the man if he gets the slave in the heart," another man acknowledged.

Xander overheard Caelius and Gratidius' exchange in front of him with a mixture of excitedness and bitterness. The men were oblivious to the fact that they were betting the method of death of a human being, which offered intrigue. But they were both ignorant, and the more soldiers who came towards Cimberius were more likely than not, to Xander, the same kind of people.

Cimberius lifted the bow and arrow to his shoulder and shot once.

The arrow struck the slave in the head. The slave dropped to his knees, his eyes frozen open.

A burst of small applause ensued, with a few hurrahs from the younger soldiers who cared nothing for Cimberius' use of the bow and arrow and everything for the satisfying kill of the slave. 

Gratidius' eyebrows raised. "Wager how much Caelius?"

"I overheard your wager Caelius. Next time, try to make sure I don't hear it," Cimberius began.

"Damn it!" Caelius said.

"And don't pay me the Denarius. I also know you're in debt, fool," Cimberius finished. 

"Betting money you don't even have," Gratidius snorted.

"Besides," Cimberius told Caelius. "It's very difficult to check to see if I got him in the heart."

Xander imagined what Cimberius spoke was true.

To Cimberius' satisfaction, he had nailed three targets in the head. He was so proud that he laughed at himself, stood back to watch others shoot the bow and arrow, and was greeted by many of the men to hear words of praise.

Xander swerved around the crowd to get to Cimberius. It appeared that the soldiers were mugging Cimberius, shaking him, but once Xander came closer, he realized they were doing it all in playfulness. Xander was treated decently, just like Cimberius, and he had won a couple wooden sword battles, so he took it to his heart when he was treated nicely. He was sure Cimberius was feeling the same way he had felt.

"I'm good, man!" Cimberius called to Xander.

Xander forgot himself enough to smile at his friend. Still clapping along with the other men, he came to Cimberius' side. "Nice shooting, Cimberius. Tell me where you learned how to shoot like that."

"Instinct." 

Xander accepted Cimberius' answer with only half-seriousness and wondered how his friend could have been such a good archer all along. He wouldn't of thought that a pampered Praetorian Guard soldier would care to have the skills of an archer, but he was proved wrong. Perhaps Cimberius had trained by himself with targets in his free time, Xander thought. Making sure his voice could be heard through the group of men congratulating Cimberius, Xander said, "I guess we both have our specialities, Cimberius. You can use a bow and arrow, and I can use a sword!"

From his side, Duratius' voice broke in. "Excuse me, Xander, but I could have sworn you said that you can use a sword."

One of the soldiers grasped Xander's arm. "You need to go. For your sake."

A movement of a dark figure among the crowd caught Xander's attention. He could hear mud splattering from among the crowd and Xander frantically searched for where the sound was coming from. Appearing out of the statue-standing soldiers from one corner, Duratius subjected Xander to a hateful glare. Xander caught sight of it and could see the tired rings around his eyes. He looked menacing, and he looked deadly, and all of Xander's calmness faded away when he saw his eyes. He wanted to run away.

Xander lifted his eyebrows at him, wondering what he had done to cause such an intensive stare down. He wanted to go to Duratius, to ask what he'd done wrong, to assure him that he had no wish to fight him. "Crazy son of a bitch," Xander muttered.

Cimberius stepped out of the crowd. "It was a great display of archery, wasn't it!" he called. "I say we get some more drinks."

It was, Xander realized with surprise, a poor attempt to change the subject.

Infuriated at being ignored, Duratius cried, "Fight me without a sword!"

The blood drained from Xander's head and a buzzing filled his ears. "Why do you wish to fight me?"

"Do you think I would let everyone here assume that you are the better warrior! We will find out soon enough who the better warrior is."

"Better warrior!" Xander squawked.

"Yes!" Duratius exclaimed.

Looking down, Xander noted that his hands were shaking. He could feel his head was buzzing. Duratius couldn't be wanting to fight him then. He couldn't beat Duratius. What happened in their first fight was luck, Xander was certain of it. The idea of Duratius fighting him had to be his way of revenge.

"Fight me," Duratius demanded.

"I will not fight you." Xander laughed low and long. "I think everyone here knows who the better man is. It is you Duratius and I'm sure everyone knows that."

Xander didn't even know what happened. One minute, everyone was dead silent. The next, people were shaking their heads and chanting 'No'.

Cimberius looked on helplessly.

Xander gazed at some of the crowd around him as if he'd never seen them before. The bastards want me to fight, Xander thought. How could I be so naive?

Duratius, noticing Xander's puzzlement, sprang at him, and cocked his fist back.

Xander could hear the roaring of the footsteps on the ground and see the separation of the crowd. "Shit," he mumbled. He was unprepared for Duratius' strike but dodged it just the same. The second swing from Duratius knocked Xander in the face, sending him to the ground, causing blackness to surround his vision. Xander's mind echoed with the cries of the crowd and he could tell he was on the brink of unconsciousness. Before Duratius could pound on him, he regained his focus and footing only to be met with Duratius' attack.

Xander blocked the vicious punch with both of his forearms, leaving his shoulder open. Duratius took advantage of the opening and gave Xander painful blows to the shoulder. Duratius' focus on his shoulder gave Xander an opening to his face and Xander delivered a fierce blow across the chin. Xander's eyes widened once he realized his punch did not phase the strong man. He punched him quick and hard in the face again. Duratius took a few steps back, slightly disoriented, but still functioning.

Xander, recognizing his opponent's weariness, cocked back his fist to punch again. Right before he was about to punch him, Duratius caught his arm. Xander gritted his teeth, trying hard to release his arm from Duratius' grasp. It wouldn't budge.

Duratius proceeded to dislocate his arm as Xander struggled to release himself from the grip. Soon, Xander was gasping and begging for him to let go but Duratius wouldn't comply. Suddenly Xander felt a snap in his bones and before he could attend to his wound, he was thrown across the field.

Duratius laughed. "Your nothing without a sword, boy..." He trotted slowly over to his fallen opponent.

In severe pain, Xander slowly got to his feet. He could hear the shocked murmurs of the crowd. He held firmly onto his broken arm, staring into Duratius with trying eyes. I will not be embarrassed in front of these people, Xander vowed to himself. Within a second, Xander launched himself at Duratius. "Ahhhh!" he cried as he pulled back his fist.

His punch never made contact as Duratius intercepted his move and sent him sprawling across the mud.

Seconds later, Duratius followed after his prey, determined to not let up on his beating of Xander.

Xander stumbled across the mud, trying to keep a distance from Duratius. He slowly stood up, though now on shaky legs and his vision was starting to blur and darken. As he stood, Xander watched the crowd. The emotionless stare was not there like usual, instead a look of sympathy graced most of the faces of the crowd, but it only lasted a second then disappeared.

Xander recognized the charging feet of Duratius coming after him. He took advantage of the recklessness of Duratius and turned, giving Duratius a good kick in the stomach, knocking the wind and balance of him for the moment. Duratius went down hard, gasping for air.

Duratius was on the ground one minute but shook off whatever had happened and got back on his feet the next. He paused long enough to give Xander an arrogant grin before Xander came after him.

Xander made a fake to the left and then struck out with his left fist. Duratius blocked it and countered with a kick into Xander's mid section. 

Xander twisted around in order to dodge the blow and attempted to aggressively elbow Duratius in the face. Duratius blocked again but this time held onto his non-dislocated arm and used it to throw Xander over his shoulder onto the ground. As the breath was knocked out of Xander, Duratius delivered a brutal kick to his ribs which caused a loud "pop." Duratius went to give another but Xander grabbed his foot this time, struggling to hold his foot from his chest.

"I won't give up," Xander said through gritted teeth. "I won't-"

Xander continued to struggle clutching onto his foot with his left hand, making sure his right was protected, and then suddenly let go.

Duratius slammed his foot into Xander's chest. It was bone-jarring, but Xander's strength and determination were enough to enable him to roll over on his back, shielding his ribs. Duratius twisted Xander around on his chest with his legs, bracing tenaciously, ready to kick his breath out.

"Did you think you could beat me? Did you! You're nothing!" Duratius howled.

"Stop it!" Cimberius shouted from the crowd.

Duratius glanced up at Cimberius. "I'm done with him. I've already gotten my revenge."

"You're a gutless animal," Cimberius said.

With a snarl, Duratius looked down at Xander and spit on him. Then he turned and walked off into the crowd.

Cimberius ran across the field over to which his friend was lying, surrounded by soldiers and covered in blood. He immediately noticed his right arm out of his socket and his painful look in his eyes.

"Hey there." Cimberius said quietly to his friend.

Xander smiled a familiar but weak smile.

"Are your ribs broken?" Cimberius asked, feeling as if he should know whether to pick him up or not.

"It's not. It fucking hurts though," Xander replied.

"Your arm..." Cimberius started.

Xander nodded and winced in pain.

"Hey take it easy," Cimberius told him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Does this mean I don't have to come back here?" he asked Cimberius, his brown eyes searching his blue eyes.

"Yes, you proved that you are ready. Pulcher is not as good as..."

"Hey I know. It's okay," Xander finished, lifting his right arm up weakly to see how it was. His eyes widened. "I don't think it's broke..."

"It's out of his socket." Cimberius looked at his right arm carefully. "All it needs is someone to put it back in."

"Last time I was involved with something like that, I had sex."

"What?" Cimberius asked.

"Damn, just get me back to Silanus' and you can pop that bitch back in."

"Okay," Cimberius said, putting his arm underneath Xander's shoulder. "This is going to hurt."

"Yeah, yeah. Tell me something I don't know."

"I think Antonia is still at Silanus'."

"Tell me something else," Xander said softly.

Cimberius shrugged. "Duratius won't fight you again?"

"Never mind. Just help me up."

Cimberius reached underneath Xander's elbows and scooped him to his feet. As he held onto him, his gaze fell onto his ribs.

"You sure you're ribs are okay?"

"Yeah."

One of the guards inside the prison grimly finished up detailing the occurrence outside the jail days ago to Willow, Dawn, and Brittany. 

"Damn it, why did your men try to kill them?" Willow was scared now, trying to grasp the motive of why the jail guards would try to kill her friends.

"It was frustrating... seeing them stand outside the jail. They killed two of our guards!" the guard complained.

"That was after you initiated a fight against them. It was self-defense," Brittany explained.

"Whatever they did, there is men out there trying to find them. They will be caught," the prison guard stated.

Dawn had already lost her temper. "That was stupid. You guys deserved to get killed. You tried to kill them! Hell you tried to kill Xander!"

"That's enough Dawn," Willow said crisply.

"I've heard everything you've said about this... how Xander and Buffy were in the jail for a day, escaped execution because of the assassination of the Emperor! They didn't deserve to be killed after being let free from jail! Who do you guys think you are!" Dawn continued.

"They will be caught."

"I hate you!" Dawn screamed.

Quietly, Willow tapped both Dawn and Brittany, gesturing them to go. Heading to the exit of the jail, Willow examined the jail carefully, realizing that Xander and Buffy had been in that very jail days ago. She turned to the door and saw Brittany blocking her way. "What is it?"

"They're alive." She let Willow walk out the door and as she followed, she added, "Let's hope we can find them before whoever law enforcement does."

Staring back at the jail, Dawn snapped, "Why did they go to jail?"

Willow broke into a nervous sweat. "That's something he didn't know. They must've done something bad..."

"Murder," Brittany said as if she knew the answer.

Willow resolved to sound more reflective. "Brittany, they wouldn't murder anyone if it wasn't for a reason. However they got there, it was discrimination, I know it."

"So... where do we check?" Dawn's voice was puzzled. "I mean they're alive."

Gentling her voice, Willow said, "Where would you hide if there were people out to get you?"

Lifting Xander by his shoulders and allowing him to walk, they roamed into Silanus' home, having no idea what to expect from Silanus or Antonia. Cimberius kept on feeling Xander's dangling right arm wondering if it would fall out of its socket. Without the aid of money to use for doctors in the small city, they might as well hope that every injury Xander sustained was minor.

Door after door proved a harder task for Cimberius. The home looked deserted for the night, making Xander and Cimberius feel comfortable.

"Is anyone here?" Xander spoke quietly. No matter how Cimberius carried him, he had come to admire his friend's ability to sense things around him. At that moment, he was hoping Cimberius knew the answer.

"There's someone here, Xander." No sooner than he said the words there was a rush of cool air coming from one of the back doors.

"What was that?" Xander blinked his eyes and slowly made it to his feet by himself. He looked across to the corridor to where the back door was. "Your right."

What came into view from the corridor put a look of shock and disappointment in their faces. It was Antonia.

"Oh my god!" Antonia cried, clutching her mouth, seeing Xander's beaten face and body. "What happened!"

Cimberius quickly pulled Xander out of the corridor and towards the stairs. Xander suddenly was losing some air and was in dire need of assistance.

"I don't think you want to talk to her," Cimberius said, remembering what Xander had told him the day before about how he caught Silanus with Antonia.

"You know me pretty well by now," Xander said.

Just as Cimberius was about to help Xander up the stairs, Antonia rushed up from behind.

"Please tell me what happened... I must know!" Antonia pleaded, tears forming in her widened eyes.

Xander wasted no time in giving her the answer. "Your husband!"

Cimberius quickly brought Xander up the stairs towards his room as Antonia stood speechless at the bottom of the stairs.

"You sure you're okay? You're not going to die on me or anything?" Cimberius just needed to know for sure before going any further.

"Yes, I'm fine. It was just a fight. It was bound to happen," Xander said, nodding to his friend, as the two staggered up to the top floor.


	18. Just Passing Through

Arpineius pushed through the curtains that kept private most of the chambers inside a building at the Praetorian Guard Camp. A trio of Praetorian Guardsmen, including Considius, trailed in their leader's impatient wake.

"All we have to do now is wait," Arpineius announced to his own men. "The Emperor will abide no further delay. We are requested to kill Pulcher on sight, and if we have to kill others to get to him, we will."

"It would take two days, sir," one of the guardsmen said when Arpineius had dropped his chest onto his soft cotton bed in his chamber.

"The responsibility is solely mine," Arpineius replied through the bed sheet. "Don't fail me by not being prepared. Expect a quicker arrival."

The guardsman inclined his head in a bow of respect. "There are rumors that Pulcher knows that this is a trap, sir. From all corners of the city comes word from politicians that we cannot fool this man. This has to be true because he is well-known for his alertness towards ambushes." 

"Unnecessary fear," Arpineius said. "The letter Considius and I constructed was made so there would be nothing that Pulcher can see as a hint of an ambush."

"And what if he is suspicious?" the guardsman asked.

"There should be no signs of suspicion on Pulcher's part," Considius assured the guardsman.

"More than half of the Praetorian Guard is stationed here, waiting his arrival. Pulcher has only a handful of corrupt men at his side," Arpineius explained, taking a deep breath. "Riders have been deployed miles away from the camp as spies to see when Pulcher and his men make their approach. There is nothing to fear, my brother."

Arpineius rose from the bed to regard what now amounted to a universal feeling of fear within the camp. "I've spent many years in the Praetorian Guard," he said after a long moment. "I was forced to work hard to earn the position where I am now... to deal with Pulcher in a professional manner. At times he would kill without reason and viciously go after anyone he pleased. Not once through all that time... did I ever fear him. Today fear comes as easily to the soldiers in this camp as politicians come to bicker about everything."

Arpineius turned to Considius. "Brief every man in this camp who's wet himself from Pulcher and tell them of the plan of ambush we have towards him." His expression grew grim. "Our actions in ambushing and killing Pulcher may come back to haunt us. However, we no longer have the luxury of doing what is popular to the people. It is true, yes, that it is important to do what the masses want, but the message we sent to Pulcher came from and only from the Emperor. Worse comes to worse, we have Julianus to be held responsible." His dark eyes fell onto the questioning guardsman. "Does that answer most of your questions?"

"Yes, sir. Although..."

Arpineius waited, then said, "Hurry up, will you!"

"If Pulcher surrenders, sir. He was the man who led the assassination of Pertinax. He promised us a better future, and was bold enough to do something that could have cost him his life. If he surrenders without incident, he should be sent to jail for execution by the government. We have no honor to trick and take down one of our own in cold blood. Let the Empire deal with him."

"There is nothing I can do about that," Arpineius said simply. "The Emperor gave me a direct order- to 'kill him on sight'- and I will not bring him in chains to Palatine Hill or anywhere else for that matter. We are foot soldiers and in order to keep our jobs, we must do what the higher ranks want of us."

"Yes, sir, but in this instance of an Emperor's order, you can be the bigger man. When Pulcher is captured, you bring him to trial and this will end the long belief that Julianus had something to do with Pertinax's murder."

Arpineius folded his arms. "You've heard of Laetus?"

The guardsman nodded.

"Then that idea would be foolish. Laetus was already used for the matter of being used as the murderer. For God's sake, no questions!" Arpineius threw the blanket of the bed he was grasping across the room. He took the guardsman by both shoulders and shook him. The guardsman stared up into his eyes, hypnotized by fear. "I'm not just a low rank soldier anymore, son. I was told by the Emperor to kill Pulcher and whether it is right or wrong, that is for the gods to decide."

The guardsman nodded his head, flinching.

"I won't harm you." Arpineius let him go. The guardsman dropped back into the crowd. "I welcome opinions, but when it is the Emperor's word, we cannot debate it."

The guardsman kept on nodding his head. "What you say is right, Arpineius," he trembled. "If it is the Emperor's word, then there should be no questions about it. Please forget anything I said. Don't make anyone know. Arpineius, please."

Arpineius frowned. "Get ready for their arrival. Now!" He turned and almost ran out of the chamber.

Cimberius took a stack of letters downstairs to the kitchen and burned them in the stove, disturbing Antonia, who was biting her fingernails. He took a walk outside, through the fields behind the house and into the woods. In the fields it was hot, itchy, and buggy; in the woods, humid, smelling of mold and leaves, far more buggy. He stood in a damp shadow staring at a nearby lake, far too exhausted to do any exercise, and felt disoriented and disarrayed. It was April 5th, a clear morning and he had no ideas what to do at all.

Xander was sitting beside the lake, glancing out over the lake, deep in thought, and with his hands outspread on the grass.

"Xander, do you know why you asked me to burn all the letters coming here?" Cimberius began.

It took Xander a moment to come out of his thoughts. "Burn them?" He seemed as distracted as Cimberius was.

"You told me the other day. Do you remember?"

"No," he said vehemently, "Please stay, Cimberius. It's a beautiful place, Gerasa is."

It was hot. They fell into silence, Xander thinking his thoughts, Cimberius thinking his own. Xander ran his fingers through his now lengthy hair, lifting it up away from his forehead, then resting his hands back onto the grass.

"You shouldn't avoid any word from Buffy. I know you care about her," Cimberius said.

"I suppose I do."

"Oh, please. That is all you think about," he said. "That is the most obvious thing I can see in you, besides the bruises Duratius gave you."

"His wife gave me bigger ones. Inside." The last time he had spoken with Antonia was when he was being carried upstairs to a bed to heal by Cimberius. He remembered Antonia in her loose shawl, batting her eyes at his one night. It was when Silanus brought home three women when he was stunned the most by the look in her eyes.

Now she was nothing but Silanus' love slave. Silanus and Antonia.

"I think Antonia is feeling a lot of pain also. She regrets-"

"I don't want to hear it. She's just like all the other girls I've met here. Weak-minded, easy to manipulate." He was right; he hadn't met one girl without any independence in Rome. Acacia was one of the prime examples. "Tell me Cimberius, why are we still here? I feel miserable being here..."

He shook his head. "The horses aren't feeling well. I made Antonia keep care of them."

Xander could imagine the results. "You let her take care of them? Are you sure that's not why they're sick?" he asked cautiously.

"I don't want you to feel bitter towards her, Xander. She seems like a good person," he said.

"She cheats on her husband." Xander knew that for a fact. "I'm not saying I wouldn't if I had a husband like Duratius but still..." He got up and moved away from the lake. Cimberius followed his move, almost as if he was eager to leave the lake view as well. "Now... we need to get Sunset and Stormy in good condition so we can see Buffy."

"Silanus says that we should go to the camp today. There's supposed to be some important visitors." Cimberius stood at arm's length with him.

"Not until we get the horses healthy. I feel responsible. I haven't spent much time with them since we arrived here."

"Me either. So you want to go to the camp?" 

"I don't want them to think I'm dead, do I?"

Cimberius laughed. "No."

"More importantly, I want Duratius to know I'm not some guy to push around."

A soldier extended his gloved hand against the rough contours of inverted rock. "Hang on a minute, Pulcher!" he yelled.

All at once the soldiers standing above the cliff watched as Pulcher's head popped up from the top of the cliff. Several pairs of hands were reaching out to help him over the rocks that prevented him from getting a safe hold on the top.

"Up you go," one of his men who had gave him words of encouragement said.

Pulcher allowed himself to ascend into the upraised hands of his men, and to continue being supported by them while he was planted on his feet, with the world spinning around him and blood rushing through his head. Someone removed his helmet and put a hole of a canteen to his lips.

When the long moment of dizziness had passed, Pulcher saw that every one of his men had made it up the mountain that rose from the middle of Rome. The soldiers around him were noticeably light-weighted, no sign of their weapons or materials with them. 

Disgusted that his men were down many weapons, he looked out over the mountain onto Rome. The city looked as it was the last time he left it, with countless buildings and flocks of life surrounding it.

A haze of mist lay over the awful smelling top of the mountain. All of it entering and consuming the men's faces.

"Is everyone alright?" someone asked, loud enough to be heard over the loud wind blowing the mist through them.

Pulcher recognized the lined face of his friend Antistius under the camouflaged cosmetic he put on his face. "Antistius, I hope you didn't dress for battle. Because you're not getting involved."

Antistius glanced at his friend. "I'll be at your side no matter what, Pulcher."

"I know you will, Antistius," Pulcher said. "Thank you for accompanying me all this time. But this is where your journey ends."

"Huh?" Antistius asked, confused.

Pulcher shrugged off the gratitude he felt for his friend and motioned to the men on both sides of him. "Tarquin Sanga," he said, naming his most ruthless head shaven one; then, "Diodotus Cyprus," naming the one with the most scars.

"Men," he said, tapping them both on the shoulders. "Take Antistius to the outskirts of the city. As I said before, I don't want him harmed." He glanced at Antistius. "If this is the last time I see you, I was proud to have served alongside a loyal man like yourself."

Antistius nodded grimly, accepting his friend's decision with half-bitterness. "Same here. I hope to see you again. It's-"

"Tarquin and Diodotus," Pulcher interrupted. "Do it now."

Tarquin and Diodotus moved to escort Antistius away from the group and ushered him as far as possible until he disappeared into the mist. 

"Well this is it, men. Time to make our approach down to the city," Pulcher said, sighing.

Some of the men exchanged skeptical glances. "Shouldn't we re-stock our weapons? We left most of them behind because of the weight..." one of them wondered.

"We have these," Pulcher said, holding his fist up high so his men could see.

Smiling broadly, the men immediately formed a battle line, then pulled up behind Pulcher.

The leader motioned to his dozen men behind him. He turned and faced them. "Men, prepare for the unexpected."

The soldiers nodded in agreement. Rome was suddenly starting to feel like an enemy state.

Pulcher pressed his hand into the gloved hand of the man who had helped him to the top of the mountain. "Stay at my side."

Xander didn't know how many people looked at him when he entered the camp, but when he stood out in the open where every soldier could see, he realized how much he'd been suffering that morning.

His ego may have been pricked, but his heart was still wounded. And he was the one who was responsible for that. Antonia should have never been as big of a person in his life. Although he certainly hadn't meant to, she'd ended up affecting him more than the absence of Buffy. She was sweet, warmhearted, incredibly beautiful, and a generous woman. 

Cursing the fact that he avoided her wherever she went, Xander vowed to himself to face his problems head-on later that day. He wasn't going to let her sex with Silanus cause him anymore bitterness. He was going to talk to her.

The thunderous applause, like cannon fire, jerked him from his thoughts. Cimberius was standing next to him, a hand on his shoulder, looking straight at him. Xander viewed the happiness in his eyes and knew he was the one responsible for the soldiers' enjoyment.

He wove his way through the crowd applauding his arrival and jumped onto a bench, making sure the crowd made sure of his presence.

"Thank you, men," he began in a faltering little voice that pained his vocal cords. He liked it better, he realized, when he was just talking. Not doing a speech.

"You don't have to," Cimberius said, tugging at his armor gently. "The men know you're thankful."

"It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

He brushed a tendril of hair from his forehead. "I want to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone ever again."

Cimberius frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Men," Xander called out to all of the other soldiers in the camp. "Your bloodthirstiness needs to stop. Fighting amongst each other is not worth it! Either is allowing a bully like Duratius remain in this camp!"

"Hey, Xander," Cimberius said, insistently tugging at his armor once again. "I wouldn't-"

Xander didn't look at him. Instead he focused on the faces of the men in the camp. He could see the same sickening look in their eyes. It was fear. "Men, there is no reason to be afraid of anyone in this camp! I'm sick of people fearing one another. We are in this camp together as one!"

"As one!" a group said in unison.

"You were saying?" Xander said quietly to Cimberius as he walked confidently on top of the bench.

Cimberius smiled at his friend. "You're too brave."

"What of Duratius!" one of the men insisted. "You fear him!"

Xander and Cimberius exchanged a frustrated look.

"What's wrong with you people?" Xander asked quickly to the crowd. "We are all united here for one common purpose... To protect our homeland. Worrying about a dim-witted brute like Duratius should be the least of our problems! And no I do not fear him! I pity him."

The crowd burst into laughter. Everyone but Duratius, whose massive body just entered the group of soldiers.

"From now on, anyone fearing Duratius should know that you get a two-day vacation if you fight with him, so there is no need for fear!" Xander continued, laughing.

As Xander stood on the bench, Cimberius spotted Duratius approaching them. Cimberius couldn't believe their luck. To make matters worse, Duratius appeared stronger than what he did days before.

When Cimberius whispered the news into Xander's ear, his friend cast a quick, alarmed frown Duratius' way, then proceeded to jump down off the bench.

"I knew you wouldn't be out for long," Duratius said, staring coldly at Xander. "I let you off easy that day, boy."

"Why do you hate me so much?" Xander asked as the crowd backed away and allowed the two to see each other. "It can't be because I beat you in a wooden sword battle or is there something else?"

"You know damn well why I hate you," Duratius said.

Xander shook his head, still not leaving Duratius' cold stare.

"I was told before I fought you... that you were sleeping with my wife," he said in a muffled voice. "I will make sure you will pay for your lack of disregard for my woman."

Xander kept on moving towards Duratius, who was on a collision course as well to meet together. They both knew they were taking steps there was no retreating from.

Xander eyed him warily, as if expecting Duratius to charge.

"That's a lie. I never touched your wife. You should ask Silanus."

He wasn't going to try to convince Duratius. Soon he would leave, go back to see Buffy and stay with her and forget about him, and all the stupid soap-opera that Silanus had created along with it. 'If Duratius could just leave me alone,' Xander thought.

Xander had wondered why he hadn't crossed paths with Silanus lately and now he knew why. It appeared that the jerk who he saw screwing Duratius' wife wanted him to suffer. Really suffer.

"Do you really pity me?" Duratius asked, the sarcasticness in his voice stirring Xander.

Xander curled his mouth into a mocking grin. "Even more... now that I know Silanus had duped you into believing I was with your wife."

"Because I pity you," Duratius said. He was less than a couple feet away, but he moved closer, putting his huge hand on Xander's shoulder. He had strong, overbearing hands.

"It's true Duratius," Cimberius said from behind. "Silanus was sleeping with your wife." Cimberius glanced at the other men around the camp. "In fact, many of your wives."

"If this is you trying to bail out your friend, you got to do better," Duratius said, and his other hand cocked back, ready to punch Xander in the face. He stared into Xander's eyes and could see himself in his reflection. "For some reason I'll never understand you, Xander."

"Hurry up and hit me," he drawled. If Antonia had slept with more than just Silanus in the camp he wouldn't be surprised- he found it hard for anyone to feel compassion for Duratius.

Duratius managed a wry smile. "Let's hope you don't come back this time."

Xander took a deep breath, expecting the inevitable pain about to be inflicted upon him.

Before Duratius could hit Xander, a chorus of shouts rang out from the entrance to the camp causing him to wince. High pitched whinnies soon followed, the sounds of terrified horses.

The high-pitched whinnies and screams of the horses gave enormous pain to Duratius' head. He pulled back suddenly and walked away from Xander, leaving time for Xander to take a deep breath and relax.

There were a mess of men on horseback arriving at the entrance. They were all heading in the same direction; towards them.

A bolting horse came stampeding directly in Xander's path and Xander quickly sidestepped to avoid being trod on. Xander looked at the stallion in horror, then at Cimberius, who appeared to have been shaken up more than he was about what just occurred.

When Xander turned back around, he realized the men on horseback were soldiers just like them and had immersed themselves in a circle surrounded by the soldiers at the camp.

"What the hell is going on?" Xander asked himself.

All around the camp were signs of confusion and mayhem. Xander was usually good at knowing what was going on, but he could make no sense of what he saw. After discovering the men were not there to fight, he walked the perimeter hoping that he might find some clues to what was going on. It became apparent as he walked however that a large party of soldiers in the camp circled around the intruders had the same feeling.

Cimberius stayed close behind Xander, following his movements. "I guess these are the visitors!"

"Some entrance," Xander paused, searching for the words. "I wonder what they want."

"Hail Severus!" one of the soldiers cried. "Hail!"

Xander watched dispassionately as the man who cried bowed on his knees in a posture of surrender. Xander blinked, thinking for a moment. Then he turned to see who the man was kneeling to.

A man with a dark beard, small in stature, but commanding in appearance sat proudly on one of his horses. He looked over all of the soldiers in the camp like they were cattle.

Xander was forced to stand back in admiration as the man moved his horse around the camp. When his horse trotted back over to Xander, the man put his hand up. "Soldiers of Gerasa! I am Septimius Severus!"

Cimberius nerved himself and put a calming hand on his friend's arm. "This man is the governor of Upper Pannonia. He was once appointed a senator by Marcus Aurelius."

"Governor?" Xander asked, surprised. "What's he doing here?"

The long, curly hair of Septimius Severus fell around his face. A smirk hung upon his lips in witnessing the conditions of the camp. The soldiers stood by, all silently waiting for the order to proceed.

"I need men! I have gotten the Danube legions but that isn't enough for me to march on Rome. One of my scribes will station a recruiting area where you can sign up. I ask only for fifty volunteers."

The order rang throughout the camp. Pent up anticipation was finally cut loose as soldiers in the camp sprung forth towards a table where Severus' scribe sat. The horses of the visitors of the camp snorted and kicked up dirt high in the air, making almost a theatrical sight. Severus' brown curly hair danced and elaborate velvet cape took flight as he urged his horse onward.

Xander wearily stared at a line that was beginning to form of volunteers willing to go with Severus to Rome. He could see Cimberius begin to make his way towards the line. "Cimberius, wait!"

Cimberius halted for a second, and glanced at his friend. "What? You don't want to volunteer?"

Xander's eyes widened. " Can't we just think about it? I mean I don't want to go into war."

Cimberius beamed at him. "This is the best and quickest chance to go to Rome. You saw Sunset and Stormy. They're in no condition to go to Rome."

Xander and Cimberius watched as more men got into line.

Xander moved closer to his friend, and seemed about to say something. Then he turned his head sharply back at the line. "What if we're on the wrong side?"

"It's just something we might have to find out," Cimberius said.

Xander took charge by instinct, moving ahead of Cimberius towards the line. "All right. Let's do this. I don't even know this Severus guy but he seems like he knows what he's doing."

Cimberius laughed.

Buffy walked up the empty street of Rome, completely numb, not even bothering to know where she was going. 'Where's Xander?' she wondered. 'I'm sick of waiting for him. He could be dead.'

Looking over the city's buildings, she remembered when she and Xander had walked through the city one night. She felt careless and free. She didn't feel the burden of being the slayer and felt at peace with him. 'Only a memory,' she thought and continued walking.

Buffy walked past the Baths of Titus where Xander and her made out. Closing her eyes, Buffy felt familiar arms wrapping around her, holding her warmly. Buffy's eyes opened to find nobody was there, causing a cold chill to run over her body and a tear to escape her eyes. "I need you Xander." Closing her eyes, Buffy kept walking towards Paulus' house, letting her instincts guide her.


	19. Reciprocation

Xander came into his bedroom from the bathroom and said, "Cimberius, I can't find my weapons."

Cimberius looked up. Xander was in his armor and he almost looked like the ideal Roman soldier. The only thing missing was indeed, a weapon. "Oh, you can have some of mine," he said. "I think there's a sword in the cupboard."

Xander looked at the cupboard that stood beside his bed. "It must not be a big sword."

"It's how you use it, my friend."

"I've heard that before." He tried opening the cupboard but it wouldn't budge. "Damn it."

"Don't worry, I'll get it."

Xander frowned and looked over his friend, who was wearing only a silk robe. "You're dressed as if we have a dance to attend."

"I'm in the process of changing," he said bitterly, walking to the cupboard and opening the top layer, unlocking the bottom one. He then opened the bottom layer, lengthening it out until he could get a good view of the sword. "There it is."

Xander was stunned. The craftsmanship of the sword looked rare and priceless. There were markings at the handle and on the blade that you certainly wouldn't find at any weaponry store. "Wow. You sure you want me to use it?"

"I have to get ready. Just take the sword. It's really nothing you haven't seen before."

Xander smiled. "Thanks man."

"Just only use it for display, alright?"

"Unless somebody attacks me," Xander said, chuckling. He took the sword by the handle from the cupboard and analyzed it further. "You have a lot of good weapons I tell you."

Cimberius grinned. "As a former member of the Praetorian Guard, I thought it a necessity to have as much armory as possible."

Xander carried the sword to the center of the room. He swung the sword playfully and maneuvered it like a samurai swordsman, making spirals and circle motions with the weapon. "I heard that job was boring."

"Xander, it's not a wooden sword. Stop swinging that thing."

"As you wish," Xander said, stopping the sword's motion. "It's just that I'm so excited... We're going back to Rome."

Cimberius liked the sound of that. "Yes. Back to Rome." He removed his robe and walked over to the closet.

"The scribe almost turned me down because of my name. He thought I was a foreigner."

As Xander spoke, Cimberius took a quick look in the closet and snatched out a heavy piece of armor. Almost as soon as he took the armor, he noticed that he had taken the same armor that Xander used after his first wooden sword fight with Duratius. There were holes and damage scattered all over the thick metal.

"I swear if he turned me down, he was going to get a beating."

"Your name is odd," Cimberius acknowledged while closing the closet, suddenly not liking his decision to keep Xander's beaten armor.

"You're right. But I shouldn't be discriminated against because of it."

Cimberius put the armor over his shoulders and onto his body. "Why didn't you say your name was Alexander? You remember the reception you had when we entered the camp? Romans like Greeks."

"It's not my name. That's the problem. I don't want people calling me..."

"Alexander," Cimberius finished, seeing Xander wince at the sound of his first name. "I can see your point, now."

Xander watched while Cimberius began to fit the long, black warrior skirt over his legs. He couldn't help but to laugh. "Soldiers never seem to make fashion statements," Xander murmured.

"There is no reason to." Cimberius applied the skirt onto his legs and tied the belt that attached it to the armor. "We don't kill our enemies with what we wear."

Xander glanced at him, smiling. "It'll kill some people. It's killing me."

"But why?" Cimberius studied his friend's eyes. "I mean, I can't see why one can laugh at the skirt aspect of a soldier, even the pointy helmets. I honestly don't get the humor of it."

Xander patted Cimberius' cloth-clad skirt. "These aren't long enough for regulation, buddy," he said, not unkindly. "Some men might see too much if they're below you."

"You have a perverse sense of humor." Cimberius watched his friend, fascinated at his silliness, as Xander began to exit the room to the right side.

After more than a hour of getting the things they needed, the two men were practically ready for battle.

The door opened to the living room and Xander poked his head inside. "Anyone here?"

"Yes," a familiar voice said from a chair.

Xander immediately frowned, realizing who it was. "Antonia... why you still hanging around here?"

Antonia flounced in her chair and turned to look at him. "I'm here because I want to be with you, Xander."

"No kidding," Xander said sarcastically. He lounged against the door frame, grinning. "I thought you were interested in Silanus."

"Do you think I care about him? You see the way I look at you... I like you," she said.

"You don't even know me. You think after all those men you've slept with that I'd believe you, Antonia. You're getting funnier every time I see you."

She frowned, upset by his words, and stood up to smooth her dress over her hips. She examined herself in a mirror across the room, then turned and arched her back to study the lines of her hips.

Xander slid from the doorframe and turned away to hide his flushed cheeks. "You look nice."

"You think so?" She raised her eyebrows. "I never thought you would say that."

"I always thought you were beautiful."

Antonia shifted nervously and squeezed her hands together. It seemed Xander's reaction to her bothered her because she had a feeling that he was going to leave.

"We got two minutes!" Cimberius called from another room.

"Two minutes," Xander said curtly, his eyes still fixed on the lush body in front of him. "Cimberius and I are joining Septimius Severus in going to Rome."

Antonia settled herself in a nearby chair and reached for one of her makeup trays, scowling at herself in the mirror.

"It's because of me isn't it?" she said darkly. "I should have never had sex with that man."

"Don't even mention it." Xander entered the living room, eyeing her carefully. "You know there was no way you and I could be together. Come on," he added. "They'll be someone else out there for you. I promise."

"I guess I'll have to wait a little longer for a man, won't I?" Antonia took her brush and twirled it instinctively. "Don't be so anxious to leave, Xander," she added, meeting Xander's eyes in the mirror. "There's no urgency to go along with Septimius Severus to Rome. It won't hurt to wait until Sunset and Stormy get better."

Xander knew that time was ticking. He would have to get out all the things he needed to say to her. "Duratius is coming along also, unfortunately. I just wanted to let you know that," he said.

"Thank you," Antonia said placidly. "I don't care about him, Xander. Please, I'm begging you... don't go."

"What did you see in Duratius?" 

"Pardon?" she asked.

"I asked you why you chose a man like Duratius to wed."

Antonia shifted in her chair, feeling awkward. "I don't know. He had a nice body."

"Oh, wow. That's a good reason to marry somebody," Xander said with casual generosity that made it impossible for him to dislike her no matter how she behaved. "Duratius has been a prick to me ever since I arrived here. I warn you in the future.. choose your men wisely." He turned to look at himself in the mirror and smiled. No amount of convincing would be enough for any of his friends in Sunnydale to believe how he looked now. He was muscular, strong, and intimidating. "I have a nice body don't you think?"

Antonia didn't answer.

Xander glanced at her, his gaze lowering in disappointment. "Goodbye, Antonia."

"So you're really going?" Antonia asked, her voice breaking.

"I'll be back." Xander turned away from his reflection.

Antonia sniffed in her nose. "Really?"

"For the horses."

Antonia's mouth dropped open. Her sadness deepened, as tears flowed down her eyes.

'What a way to embark on a trip,' Xander thought, leaving the living room.

Outside Silanus' home by an apple tree, Cimberius was standing.

"Right on time," Cimberius said.

Xander came across him and nodded his head shyly. "I was just saying goodbye to Antonia."

Cimberius grinned. He let Xander lead him over to the street. He walked by his side. There were petals surrounding them all over the grass, and Cimberius couldn't help but bend down and touch them. Once he touched the petals, he felt a foreign smoothness against his fingertips. He took a deep breath, enjoying the feeling.

"You haven't been out much, have you?" Xander asked, watching his friend.

"Beautiful," he said, groping for words. "I am sorry to keep you waiting, I just haven't taken the time to admire the beauty of this earth."

Xander simply waited, shaking his head.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself." Cimberius stood up quickly. "Let's go now." And he followed Xander out onto the street.

"When Duratius told me," Xander said after a while, "that he thought I slept with his wife, I felt like finding Silanus and killing him. I thought Silanus was a friend. But now I know he's two-faced."

"You know that Silanus is not coming to Rome, don't you?" Cimberius asked, hesitating between the words.

"What?"

"The only people I know that are going is you and Duratius."

"That son of a bitch," Xander said, puzzled that Silanus, a so-called lover of war would not go to Rome.

Cimberius continued to walk down the street and looked questioningly at his friend. He could feel that his friend was letting his emotions get the best of him.

"As far as I'm concerned, that man should be punished for what he did. I almost got killed," Xander said. He stuck out his fist and spoke with vehemence. "He tried to break our friendship, I remember. He said that you 'hated war' and the people that loved it."

"Hate war? Hell what I am doing right now? I just don't like Silanus."

Xander stopped to think for a moment. 'Don't do this,' Xander thought. He cleared his throat. "Where is he?"

"Xander..." Cimberius began.

"Where is he!" he yelled, flustered with anger.

"At the marketplace. He-"

Xander plunged away from Cimberius and ran in the opposite direction towards the marketplace.

"Xander! Don't do it!"

Xander rushed down the street and looked out over the city, searching for the marketplace. In the wake of his newly found vengeance, everything was coming back to him. Every ounce of pain he had felt in Gerasa originated from one man. He was going to make sure Silanus knew how he felt. 'You mess with fire, you get burned with fire,' Xander thought.

Pulcher glanced at the Praetorian Guard Camp up ahead. The message signed by the Emperor about an uprising of rebels in the city made it prudent for him to get more men at the camp; he was making a reputation for himself that would resound from one end of Rome to the other before this mission was done. Who could have guessed that Pulcher would ask for more men and need help? In the early days of his youth, a few years before Commodus was strangled, Pulcher had always been known as someone who was independent of everyone else. No more, Pulcher knew. He and his men were more than holding their own, despite the loss of several weapons and fatigue, but Pulcher had caught notice that his men's morale was low and none of his men would be as hungry as the rebels if they encountered. He needed more men.

"Let's approach," Pulcher said. "More than a few here have complained that there could be a trap. I will heed your advice... We're in need of a hero who could steady the line and act as me."

It was hard for anyone not to accept the offer. Pulcher looked around, following the gasps and laughs of the excited. So many of his men excited and ready to pose as him. The men who had accompanied him throughout his journey to find Buffy and Xander had been nothing short of respectable and honorable in their duties. Their loyalty to him was something that he would never forget.

"The bloody men are coming!" came a cry from inside the Praetorian Guard camp.

Arpineius hurried all the way to the front gate where the holler was coming from. He had convinced most of his men that he was too important to be involved, a revered servant to the Emperor, that would get him out of the bloodshed, hoping not to let Pulcher see his betrayal. So when he got sight of the men approaching to the camp, he slowed and began walking back to one of the buildings.

He found many of his men were lining up as planned against the outer walls, into the shadows, with bow and arrows. The men were cooperating better than he thought. Arpineius walked into one of the buildings and saw Considius hiding behind one of the doors.

"So the most hated man in Rome finally makes his arrival. You sure these men are good as archers?" Considius asked his friend.

"Pulcher likes to move together as a group," Arpineius explained. "If these men can't hit them with the bow and arrows into a group of people, then they should find another occupation."

Considius nodded. "I knew you didn't want to be a part of this. Is it the act of betrayal that frightens you the most?"

"Aye, that it is. I sympathized with Caesar when Brutus showed his face to his friend, and with weakened knees and mortal stab wounds, the most unbearable pain for Caesar was not the wounds... but that the man he trusted the most had been a part of his murder. Perhaps Pulcher will know I have a hand in this, but I will not give him more pain than what is already planned to give him."

Considius smiled at him, a look of sarcasm and not warmth.

"Arpineius, I find it funny that on those forum steps, the same day we killed Pertinax, that you wanted to go after Buffy and Xander, while Pulcher was more concerned about the Emperor. How things change, huh?"

"People can change in seconds, Considius," Arpineius warned. "That is why I don't have many friends. Trusting too many people renders you weak."

Considius fought hard to keep his eyes from widening with shock and fear from inside the building. He watched the archers stationed in the shadows, their bow and arrows already half-cocked, ready to shoot when the men entered. "What if they dodge the arrows? His men are well-trained."

"His men are the same men we have. They are glorified better than ours only because they are in his company."

Considius scowled. "How did Pulcher assume leadership in the first place?"

"The ways of the gods cannot be explained," Arpineius recited. "He was the least competent man for the job. Fear is what got him to the position he was in. Simple promises of freedom and victory were all he needed to captivate the weak-minded."

"I was guilty of being a part of that fray."

Arpineius put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "We all were." He turned his gaze from his friend and slowly moved across the open doorway into another part of the building. He continued to walk slowly as he made his way up a stairway, then increased his pace as he reached the top. Once on the roof of the building, Arpineius broke into a run to better see Pulcher's men outside the gates, propelled by interest more than anything else.

Pulcher was walking right into his trap, he knew. He was going to die.

For a second, Arpineius wished he had stationed the archers on the roof. The anxiety and waiting for Pulcher's men to enter was almost too much to bear.

Pulcher looked up at the roof to see one man staring over them. The hairs on the back of his neck began to stand up.

"It's a trap, men," Pulcher said. "I may be stubborn, but I'm not stupid. Appius lead the way!" He stepped forward and pointed to the gate to Appius' left. "Once inside those gates, do as I say. Be prepared for anything."

"You just said it was a trap. Why go in?" Appius' words were more than a whisper.

"They're going to use arrows. All of you have been in combat correct?" Pulcher asked.

"Aye!" snorted the men.

"All of us have been to war!" one cried.

"W-were going in?" Appius stuttered, nervous of his choice to impersonate Pulcher.

"Aye, all of us are going in. We're all soldiers and we know that the best way to beat the bow and arrows is to separate and-"

"Charge," muttered one of his men.

Appius felt his knees go weak and he knew that he had to get out of there. His stomach began to churn. He half-turned.

"Pulcher, you've got quite the spirit in you," Appius said. "But I don't. I am sorry but I will die if I lead the way."

Appius' voice drifted off into the air as he staggered away, back into the darkness. Pulcher couldn't believe what his most loyal man had just told him. He would never think Appius would do such a thing.

"Should we kill the coward, Pulcher?" another soldier asked.

Pulcher's expression went cold immediately.  
"We don't have time to kill our own. Let him run. I am the coward for making him disguise himself as me. I will lead the way."

There was a collective gasp amongst the men.

"I will lead the way, Pulcher," a veteran soldier named Tullia promised, taking him by his shoulders so that he would look at him directly, to see his determination.

"I want to make sure, that if I die... I die as a leader," Pulcher countered. "I know Arpineius is behind this. He fears me, and as long as he fears me, he can be beaten."

"Or he wishes to be like you. Might it be that the Emperor has something to do with this as well?" Tullia wondered.

"He likely does, since I disobeyed his order not to go after the lovers."

"We can still go after them. We don't have to do this," Tullia said.

Pulcher's lips went very tight and shook his head.

Tullia didn't expect any other reaction from his leader, for he understood him better than most soldiers. He wasn't about to run away from problems, he was the one to confront them.

"Eventually we'll have to face them... Running now will only make them stronger. We-" Pulcher started to explain.

"Our friends are in there," a soldier interrupted, and he took the sword in his hands and put it back into its case.

"Don't be a fool, Caius. If they are your friends, they wouldn't betray you like this," Pulcher said angrily. "Now, get ready everyone."

"Who says they are going to betray us anyway? All you saw was a man on the roof!" a soldier said smugly.

"Latutius, do you think out of all my years as a soldier that I don't know what is a trap?" Pulcher muttered to the soldier. "I have this feeling...

"Respect Pulcher's decision. He hasn't failed us yet," a soldier advised.

Pulcher managed to turn to face the gate, standing tall, breathing heavily in anticipation, rubbing his jaw, and shooting the soldier Latutius the most hateful look any of the men had seen him give.

"Let's go," Pulcher said, unable to wait any longer.

A moment later, Pulcher walked towards the gate and his men followed closely behind. "We will live to see the sunset, men! We will live!"

Pulcher's men began shouting, their muscles bulging with energy. Pulcher let out a charge shout, and led by him, his soldiers charged.

Arpineius' eyes widened in surprise and he ran away from sight on the roof. He didn't know who to blame for Pulcher's hindsight; but at the moment he didn't care. All that mattered was that he needed to tell his cocky guards that Pulcher's men knew it was a trap.

The front gate to the Praetorian Guard camp erupted out of the ground, swirling in the air, and Pulcher's men went in screaming.

Arpineius peered over the roof and saw at least a dozen of Pulcher's men storm the camp and charge into the open.

"Fire god dammit!" Arpineius yelled at the top of his lungs.

Pulcher glanced up to the roof and saw Arpineius giving the order. His eyes widened with anger. "Bastard!"

The archers let their arrows fly, but their arrows hardly seemed to slow the men's advance.

Pulcher lifted up his shield and deflected a handful of arrows. He lowered his shield and laughed. "Is that the best you got!" He took a deep breath and charged towards the building where Arpineius was in.

"I'm right beside you, Pulcher," Tullia said, and he moved in step with Pulcher.

"There's archers on both sides hiding in the shadows," Pulcher remarked as his men separated at the corner of the right building and began dodging arrows. In front and behind them, the men under Arpineius' rule threw rocks and launched arrows, but Pulcher's men growled as one and pressed to the building.

"Take the archers out. Let me go in the building alone," Pulcher said suddenly.

"Pulcher?" Tullia said, surprised.

"Lead the men to the archers and kill them. I'll come back down to help once I kill Arpineius." Pulcher turned, a tight grin on his face. "The sooner I kill Arpineius, the sooner this will be over."

"Yes, sir," Tullia replied, and Pulcher recognized and understood the hesitation in his voice, but more importantly, his loyalty. Tullia immediately began ordering the men to kill the archers.

"Arpineius!" Pulcher cried, and he lifted his sword high in the air and charged straight ahead and into the building he saw him at. He swept through the deserted halls, then turned west towards the stairs.

"Charge the archers!" Tullia ordered. He sent a couple men into the building for cover, away from the arrows, to ensure there were men alive if the order failed.

Before Arpineius' forces could position themselves and cock back their arrows, they saw that Pulcher's men were closing in. Scared for their lives, the guards broke ranks and ran to elude being slaughtered.

"Butcher them!" Tullia cried. "See to it that you are close to them! Use protection if necessary!"

Half the archers on the right side staggered and fell to the ground. Like balls rolling, they hit the ground with a rough thud. Pulcher's men followed them like hunted prey to finish them off.

The archers on the far left side cocked back their arrows but stopped, fearing they would hit their own guardsmen on the ground.

Pulcher rushed the stairs and was met by a soldier who launched an overhead swing, but Pulcher, standing on the steps, brought his own sword quickly into the soldier's chest, catching the blade just under his heart and holding it there until the man lost consciousness.

Pulcher wasted no time in pushing the man aside down the stairs, and went farther up the stairs, being met by two more men. Instinctively, he drove his sword through both men's chest. Both of the men staggered back but did not fall.

Pulcher jerked hard on the sword, then pulled it loose from their flesh and stabbed again, a fountain of red blood gushing onto his arm.

"Ahhhh!" Pulcher cried, finally tugging the bloody sword from their dead bodies.

As both guards fell down the stairs, Pulcher raced farther to the top. He turned the corner of the stairs and took one final leap onto the roof.

Pulcher's men didn't even take time to think and they rammed their swords through the archer's bodies who lay on the ground.

The archers on the left side watched in horror as Pulcher's men slaughtered the archers laying helplessly on the ground and ones that were helpless.

"Shouldn't we do something!" cried one of the archers.

The archers were tempted to shoot but they did not want to end any of their comrades' lives with their arrows. Their thoughts were broken up by a handful of Pulcher's men charging them. The surprise was horrifying. It was a hopeless situation. Armed only with bow and arrows, the men dove for cover as swords from Pulcher's men cut through their flesh. None of the archers released a single arrow.

Arpineius watched his friend Considius below tangle with one of Pulcher's soldiers. Considius was losing the fight, and doing the honorable thing, surrendered to his foe. Arpineius had no illusions to his fate. 

Arpineius turned on his heels and headed towards the stairs, he had to escape for his own life. It was up to him to tell the Emperor the news. He had tried and failed to successfully kill Pulcher's guards. Now, it was up to him to survive.

Standing in front of him was the reason for the surprise attack. His former friend, Pulcher, stood atop the roof in a dark, armored outfit that highlighted his cold, black eyes.

Pulcher could feel his blood rise.

Arpineius frowned and said, "I surrender, friend. You defeated me."

A half-smile formed on the dark-haired man's lips as he said, "I know I defeated you. It's a wonder how your men agreed to such a horrible ambush. Two sides of archers with no infantry?"

Arpineius lowered his head as Pulcher grinned. "We underestimated you. I can't tell you how upset I am about what just occurred."

Sadness overcame Arpineius and the scene changed as a cloud covered the dark sun and it started to rain. The sudden change of weather surprised both men. The surprised looks on their faces caused Pulcher to say, "How perfect. Your plan to get rid of me has backfired and it seems the weather has taken a turn for the worse as well."

Arpineius gave Pulcher a smirk. "I was following orders from the Emperor."

Pulcher approached his friend, shaking his head. "Arpineius, my brother. Being used like a toy."

Arpineius knelt on one knee in front of Pulcher. "Hurry up and get it over with."

Pulcher's brown eyes flared as he laid his sword on Arpineius' neck. "How tempting to end your life, Arpineius."

Pulcher's old friend knew he was going to die. Arpineius knew Pulcher was not known for his mercy. He learned the hard way when he saw Pulcher finish off a dying Pertinax on the ground. Now he was the person waiting for his time.

Pulcher stared at his old friend, keeping his eyes locked on his prey. There knelt his former comrade, ready to die. The sight was something he didn't know how to react. Many thoughts ran through his head. Perhaps in death, Arpineius would gain martyrdom. His death could also ignite the Emperor's army to attack and ultimately kill he and his men. He figured that if he killed Arpineius, he in turn would sign his own death warrant.

Arpineius fell to the ground sobbing when Pulcher finally let his sword fall from his throat to the ground. Pulcher had spared his life and Arpineius had no idea why.

"You're lucky," Pulcher said, and he was quite amused to Arpineius' crying. "Remember I spared you for my life, not out of sympathy or mercy."

Shaking his head, Arpineius crawled over the roof and went right to the boots of Pulcher. "Why don't you just kill me?"

"If the Emperor thinks your alive, then everything is all right. This event never even happened outside these walls," Pulcher said.

Arpineius knew at once, as soon as Pulcher mentioned that the event did not occur to outsiders, that Pulcher was playing a kidnapper approach. He would use him to lie to the Emperor many things, perhaps including Pulcher's own death. Arpineius lay there, staring at Pulcher's boots, squinting and holding back his tears. He finally got to his feet and glanced over the roof onto the battle ensuing.

Pulcher quickly realized that he could save lives that moment. He glanced at Arpineius. "Call your men off."

Pulcher wasn't even finished speaking when Arpineius walked over to the edge of the roof and yelled to his men to stop fighting.

Tullia appeared next to Pulcher, scanning the last bit of fighting down below. He locked eyes with Pulcher then. Smiling and nodding, his eyes then darted to Arpineius who stood in front of them, his head lowered in defeat.

Tullia frowned at Pulcher. "Why is he still alive?"

Thunder crackled over the sky as Pulcher spoke, "For our own lives, we need him alive. If the Emperor thinks everything's okay-"

"Then they'll be no concern," Tullia finished. His eyes beamed at his leader. "Brilliant, Pulcher."

Pulcher stepped closer to where Arpineius stood, so he could be seen by the men below. The ground was littered with blood and bodies, most of them the archers and some of them being Pulcher's own men.

"Those of you who are alive..." Pulcher began loudly, his voice echoing through the camp. "You will still be under Arpineius' leadership! However, you'll have to deal with our company, whether you like it or not."

The men that were able to walk trudged along the dirt and began settling in among the other soldiers on benches. Pulcher remained standing at the edge, beside Arpineius, a comfort inside him that he hadn't felt for months. His men had won.

"Two apples, one banana, and three lemons," Silanus began, no hesitation in his powerful voice.

One of the workers at the marketplace handed him the food in a bag, while Silanus gave him the required Denarius.

Now all Silanus needed to do was go back to his home and meet with Antonia. She'd have to give him the best sex he could imagine while he in turn would have to look handsome and alluring for her. The fact that Xander was still alive annoyed him. He was aware of Antonia's feelings for him. Luckily, Xander was going to Rome with Septimius Severus' legion. He was certain that if Xander would confront him, he would be beat and punished for the lie he told Duratius.

"Silanus!" a voice called out.

Silanus' eyes widened in shock as he saw Xander step forth. Surely he must've been told by Cimberius of his whereabouts.

Silanus backed away from where he was standing, clearly terrified. He threw his bag to the ground and lifted his fists to fight.

Xander came forward suddenly, fist settling itself right at the top edge of Silanus' chin, poised to knock him out cold.

"Why did you tell Duratius that lie!" Xander demanded, watching Silanus wither in pain.

Silanus shook his head, looking foolish and out of his mind with fear.

"Duratius- the big man who is Antonia's husband," Xander demanded. "He was lied to, by you... It caused me a lot of pain!"

"I don't know why!" he cried.

"You lie again!" Xander kicked Silanus, forcing a squeal from his lips.

"Okay, okay," Silanus begged, and he stood to his feet. "Many of the soldiers in the camp were being told by you that I was sleeping with Antonia. All I did was reverse the pain that would've inevitably came to me onto you."

The words so full of sincerity and terror, hit Xander and reminded him, that he had indeed told soldiers in the camp about Silanus' affair with Antonia. He had hoped that Silanus would suffer for what he did. 

"If you never told anyone, it would've been fine," Silanus gasped. "But fearing for my safety-"

"You took mine instead," Xander said.

Xander moved away from Silanus and stepped away from the man, his thoughts spinning. He glanced up at the sky, where the clouds were dark, then back at Silanus, still standing in fear.

"What I did was wrong. I wanted you to suffer for your affair with Antonia," Xander admitted, gritting his teeth.

Silanus started to stammer. "I'm s-sorry too. I didn't know she meant that much to you."

Xander managed a weak smile and nod. "I forgive you. But Duratius will still be coming after me."

"Uh... uh... I... um..." Silanus stuttered.

Xander seemed to be trying to compose himself.

"You want me to write a note to Duratius about my treachery?"

Xander grinned and nodded and glanced back at the clouds. "Well, that would be helpful, I suppose. It would be better if I accompanied you to confront him, face-to-face." He turned back to Silanus and winked. "I'm sure you would enjoy that."

Silanus actually laughed at what he said, but then frowned and shook his head.

"I cannot face him," Silanus started. "All I can do is write..."

"Come along," Xander said. "It's getting dark. I'll accompany you home where you can write the note." Xander hoisted up Silanus' bag and helped Silanus gather up every fruit, then put his arm over his shoulder and helped him to his home to complete the note. There was no way Xander would travel to Rome with the belief that he slept with Antonia on Duratius' mind.


	20. The Naked Truth

"This tavern rocks!" Brittany shouted at Willow over the pounding drums and flutes. She wriggled her butt side to side in her chair, her eyes shining. Willow was having trouble enjoying herself. She'd barely even finished one drink.

Dawn smiled, pleased that Brittany liked the music. To her, she hated it, although she'd never tell them that. Brittany was all about having fun, which was definitely not her thing at the moment.

She'd rather be searching for her sister and Xander then listening to Roman chants and music.

"Come on girls," Brittany said, standing up. "Let's dance."

Willow shook her head. "That's okay," she said. "You can dance."

"Dawn?" Brittany asked, tugging at her dress. "Come on!"

Dawn liked, always enjoyed dancing. She was good at it, and it made her feel good every time she did it. However she was sure her style was not with the times. She hesitated, glancing at Willow, who raised her light eyebrows, challenging her. Willow's look told her that if she went with Brittany, she would think less of her.

Dawn shook her head. "Nah, I'm okay," she said.

Brittany grabbed Dawn's hand and pushed her way into the center of the tavern with Dawn stumbling after her. Then Brittany began to dance, her arms raised high over her head, kicking her feet out in front of her and shaking her body. She definitely knew how to dance.

Dawn nodded her head up and down and waggled her knees to the beat, making sure she didn't seem too strange.

Brittany reached out and clasped Dawn's hips, rocking them back and forth and around, mimicking what her hips were doing. Dawn laughed and Brittany smiled and they both closed their eyes, getting down to the music. Dawn let Brittany be in control, letting her body follow hers. It really didn't matter to Dawn that she was dancing with a fool or that she was the only one in the tavern wearing a dress. She was having fun, and that was the only thing that mattered.

Alone at the bar, Willow finished her drink and then Dawn's. Then she got up and went to sit down next to a man, looking late in his fifties.

"You look wonderful," the man remarked when she approached him. He was mesmerized by her red hair and cute smile.

"Thanks," Willow said, smiling back at him. "I haven't been told that lately."

"Well you should be told that every day," he said. He held his hand out. "I'm Cato. What's your name?"

"Willow," she told him. She wondered if he was only being nice to her because she was pretty.

"What brings you here, Willow?" Cato said. He took his cup and drank down the last drops of rum.

"Just came here to have fun," she said.

"Well," Cato said. "I see you brought two other ladies with you. How come you're not dancing with them?"

"I'm not in the mood. My friends are missing and I am pretty upset that I haven't found any trace of them."

Cato squeezed a few limes into his drink. He pushed it toward her. "Try this," he said. "It'll make you feel better."

Willow picked up the glass and tasted it. It tasted sweet and bitter at the same time, and she couldn't taste any alcohol in it. It was good.

"Why are you here, Cato?" Willow said.

"Kiss me," Cato said, with an absolutely sober face.

Willow put her drink down and leaned to the side. Her friends can dance their butts off for all she cared.

She eased herself into the kiss slowly, drawing out the delicious taste of rum on his lips, wanting it to last. At the point of his tongue entering her mouth, she felt herself resist, just a little, as anyone would, because he was old, some odd element of him striking her.

They were well beyond losing oxygen, as their mouths did all the communicating they needed. Cato continued to kiss her, his eyes closed, caught up in the pleasure he was experiencing while resisting the urge to run his hands down her back.

There was no way of knowing how long the kiss was, but for Willow, the separation from the man brought her a tremendous sense of comfort and happiness.

Cato looked over Willow, who was blushing. "That was nice."

Willow was absolutely delighted. She could see at the center of the tavern that Dawn and Brittany were still involved with dancing, oblivious to what she had just done. Her mind was racing. What should she do now? 

Anxiously, Willow bent her head to the side and enveloped her mouth with Cato's, pressing her tongue against his teeth with such force that he let out a little gasp. Cato opened his mouth and let Willow thrust her tongue deep into his throat. Willow had kissed guys before, but not like this. 'Is this what I should be doing?' she wondered, suddenly feeling regretful of what she was doing. She reached up and pushed against Cato's chest, pulling her head away from him, desperate for air.

"I shouldn't have done that," Willow mumbled.

Cato watched Willow bit her nails nervously.

"I enjoyed that," he said. "But I don't think it's something you should regret."

"Willow!" Dawn said. Her voice sounded very small and urgent from far away. "Let's go searching for Buffy and Xander. I'm tired of dancing."

"Right now?" Willow said. She looked up. Both Dawn and Brittany were walking toward her, a worried frown on each of their faces.

"Did you girls just say Buffy and Xander?" Cato said, letting his head fall back on his chair. He felt completely numb. "They once stayed over my house."

All of the three girls glanced at Cato. They couldn't believe what they heard. "This is some joke, right?" Dawn asked, giving Cato a disgusted look.

Cato stared at her, his eyes wide and trusting. "I wouldn't lie to you..." he said, and then he blushed. "I mean, are you girls friends with them or what?"

Brittany frowned. She fished in her purse for a picture of them, and then pulled out a photo of Buffy and Xander. "Well, do these people ring a bell?" she asked.

Cato's eyes lit up. "Yes! Oh thank the gods!"

Brittany raised her eyebrows playfully. "How do we know you're not lying just to get our company?"

Cato's mouth was open, the corners of it quavering up and then down. He couldn't believe that he had stumbled across friends of the two.

The only thing Cato could imagine that would gain their trust was what he knew from their actions.

"They acted strange and weird, like they weren't from this time period," Cato said.

The corners of Brittany's mouth spread wide and she smiled, knowing for sure the man was not faking.

"You're telling the truth," Willow said. She took a deep breath and let her head fall back against her chair.

Cato stood up, motioning to the exit. "Come," he said. "I will tell you all what happened between Buffy and Xander."

As they sped past the people in the tavern, none of the girls couldn't stop smiling. They had finally gotten lucky.

Unnumbered minutes later, when the note was finally completed, Xander decided he had time to go outside the house. He wrapped the piece of paper Silanus had written his infidelity on and was placing it in his pouch when a storm of cotton grass seeds blew past his face. "Beauty of this earth," Xander whispered, mocking Cimberius' words earlier that day.

He saw several birds on the branches of the apple tree outside Silanus' home. They were twisting and turning and pointing their beaks toward the clouds as they plotted their destination and made their courses north.

Within seconds, Xander noticed the sun. It was inches below the horizon. Shading his eyes, he watched it disappear completely. The sky turned pitch black, the clouds turned gray, and twilight was upon Gerasa. The sun had set. He feared that Septimius Severus' legion had left the city but he had kept an eye on the main street since he brought Silanus home to write the note to Duratius. They would have to pass by Silanus' home if they were to leave the city.

"You hurt my feelings," a voice said from behind.

Xander winced at the voice and turned around to see Antonia. She stood with her arms hanging down on her sides, waiting for Xander to say something.

He studied her with his light brown eyes. He held the note now in one hand and slapped it into the palm of the other. "You better not keep Silanus waiting," he said and then added, "He might get angry."

"You don't have a good memory do you? I told you I don't care about him."

"Yeah? You don't care about people you fuck?" He walked underneath the apple tree into the pitch black darkness. "Antonia, I don't want to deal with you right now."

"I don't know why you hate me so much."

"I don't hate you, Antonia. I really wonder, though, Antonia. You said you didn't care about Silanus... Do you say the same thing to Silanus about me? You see, I figure you play to each guy's wishes. It makes sense to see how Duratius was surprised that you were cheating on him. That's just what I'm thinking."

Antonia glared at him. "I said I don't care about him."

He rested his hand against the side of the tree. "I can't think of why I should believe you. Actually, no, I don't believe you. The only question in my mind is... How do I get this girl away from me?"

Antonia thought fast, then acted just as fast. She lifted her right knee as if to hit him in the groin where she knew it would hurt him bad. He lowered his arm and stepped back, to protect himself. In that one second while he was off balance, Antonia ran back to the house. As soon as she reached the house, she opened the door and rushed in. 

Xander sighed, leaning his head against the tree. "Phew."

He moved softly away from the tree through the dark shadows.

From inside Silanus' home, Antonia watched Xander head down the street. Her heart swelled with pain. "I hate you, Xander," she said softly, rubbing the tears out from her eyes.

Silanus came down the stairs and saw Antonia staring sadly out of a window. "Everything okay, Antonia?"

"Yes," she said. She refused to say anything else and was soon drowsy.

Silanus stood next to Antonia, resting his chin on her shoulder. "It's all right, Antonia," he said. "Now we don't have to deal with him any more. Why don't you join me to bed?"

Antonia would have said no, but after Xander had said those mean words to her, she nodded, and with her hands moved Silanus' mouth in for a kiss. The kiss put both of them at rest.

"You want me to invite Melantha and June over?" Silanus asked Antonia between kisses.

"Yes, but I'm not done with you yet," she said.

"Well let's go up to my room, and you can tell me when you're ready."

Antonia grinned. "I will. This is going to be so much fun, isn't it?"

Silanus broke the kiss and smiled. "Yes it will be."

He kissed Antonia one more time and carried her up to the stairs. Antonia half-awake, tried to protest but gave up instead to giggling with glee. The two were going to have sex again. She wanted to have it, just to have pleasure, and to let Silanus know how much she cared about him.

During his walk through the streets, Xander came to understand why Antonia would try to hurt him. At first he thought she was doing it out of sheer spite for him not returning her love, but as he walked, he knew he probably had offended her too much. He regretted what he had said for a second. But he figured, when she went back in Silanus' home, she would be with Silanus. Have sex with him. The more he thought about it, the more it made him angry. Sometimes it struck him, more often than he would have liked, how people could be so unfaithful and two-faced.

He didn't feel it was just the Roman people that were two-faced. If he ever returned to Sunnydale, it would be the same thing. 'People don't change. Even over centuries and millennia,' Xander thought, stepping over some rocks on the road.

Xander walked past the marketplace, the church, graveyard. He would not stop until he reached Gerasa's military camp. There he would join up with Septimius Severus' legion towards Rome. 'That is, if I'm still in the legion,' Xander thought worriedly. His punctuality had to be questioned by Severus.

He scratched his head. 'What's a good excuse?' Xander glanced down at his note in one hand. He shook his head. 'Nope.'

Pulcher was arguing with one of his guards when Tullia came into the room. Pulcher grinned at his friend. "Man, am I glad to see you! Every guard I've spoken to wants me to kill Arpineius, and I can't take it much longer!"

They both sat down on two chairs opposite each other, grinning. Pulcher looked his usual mean, uptight self. That meant everything was going well.

"Some of the men came by to see me a while ago. They wanted to tell me to free the prisoners."

"That's what I heard," Pulcher said. "Do you think I should?"

"I don't know. One of them said he saw Considius laughing with one of our men and couldn't believe that Considius had chains on him. He mostly came to me to rub it in about the assault here though. We did lose five good men."

Only hours ago Pulcher had led his fourteen men into the Praetorian Guard camp, killing most of the guards ordered to ambush them. The two worked together the best during the ambush, they were two of a kind, and they both knew it.

Pulcher grinned at Tullia. "How many of Arpineius' men did we kill?"

"His men?" Tullia asked, trying to think. "I recall about twenty-five."

"Well you can tell the man who complained that we being outnumbered by twice our men and only getting five killed is an enormous victory." He thought for a minute. "A very enormous victory."

"I know," Tullia said with a grin. He'd always respected Pulcher but now, for the first time, he felt like he was an equal. And all because Pulcher was talking militarily with him.

Pulcher looked out a window. "Uh..." he sounded very casual. "How's Arpineius?"

"I just left his cell," Tullia said, and Pulcher could tell Tullia was debating whether or not he should tell him the truth or not. "He's doing well. I don't know if it's the best we can give him but-"

Pulcher's jaw line went white as he swore between clenched teeth.

"Tullia, what happened?"

"Uh... well... I caught and stopped him from killing himself. He was using one of the splinters of wood in his cell to cut his throat."

"Is anyone watching him?"

"Yes, I have two men making sure he doesn't harm himself."

"We gotta keep him alive no matter what the costs," Pulcher said. His voice was hard. "We gotta make sure the Emperor is comfortable. For our sake."

Pulcher leaned back against the chair, staring up at the ceiling.

Tullia stood and left, knowing better than to talk to Pulcher when he was in one of his bad moods.

"Aware Tarquin, Diodotus, and Antistius of our victory," Pulcher ordered impatiently. He didn't need to hear a response from Tullia to know he would do as he said. He trusted Tullia and he knew Tullia trusted him.

Cimberius was standing outside the front gate to Gerasa's military camp, looking so angry that Xander almost turned and went back to Silanus' home again. Cimberius was leaning against the gate with his hands crammed underneath his armor. His jaw was firm, and his eyes held that dark, menacing look that he had when he had slashed Acacia in the stomach.

To Xander's surprise, his greeting was a question.

"Where the fuck have you been?"

"I showed Silanus how I felt about him," Xander said. "And I got a written apology by him to Duratius about his affair with his wife."

Cimberius' eyes fell to the paper in Xander's hand. "You wasted all that time for that? A note?"

"Well, it's important. If I don't have any proof to give Duratius, I could get seriously hurt. I just don't want to be looking over my shoulder every time I'm with Severus' army." Xander resented the frustration in his friend's voice. "I would have told you if I saw you, but it would have taken more time."

"You're lucky you weren't the only person late for departure."

"Then what are you angry about? How could you expect me to be on time with all this bullshit that's going on in my life?"

"I thought maybe you'd think this was important." The fury seemed suddenly to go out of him. "Okay, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been angry. I was just worried you wouldn't be on time."

"So we were delayed not just because of me?" Xander asked gently.

"Yes, there were a few other men that decided to sleep late. One of them being Septimius Severus."

"Wow." Xander paused, trying to think what to say next. "Do you want to go someplace to eat before we go? I'm hungry."

"No thanks." Cimberius looked up at the sky. "We are about to go, anyway."

"Where's Severus' men?" Xander asked curiously.

"They're inside."

"You want to go in?"

Xander didn't wait for him to answer, and went into the camp. When Xander turned back, Cimberius was still standing in the same position. His arms were clasped tightly around his chest.

Xander wondered what could be making his friend wait behind. "Cimberius?"

"You'd better get a good excuse ready," Cimberius said gruffly. "Severus wants to see you."

"You're kidding," Xander said, his heart starting to pound.

Cimberius followed Xander past the gate and pulled the gate shut. They stood still without speaking while both of their eyes became adjusted to the dark. Gradually the camp began to grow lighter, and Xander realized there was a moon slicing through the edge of a cloud.

"You better get going, my friend," Cimberius said, echoing his friend's thoughts.

Xander panicked. "I don't know where to find him."

"The tent at the far back corner. Hurry."

Xander began to walk in that direction, and Cimberius fell in step beside him. The path along the camp was so familiar that Xander's feet knew every inch by heart. It was Cimberius who stumbled and Xander took his arm to steady him.

"Too many rocks," Cimberius grumbled.

"I know." He let Cimberius go when he gained his balance. "So you'll be outside the tent when I'm done?"

Cimberius nodded. "Yes. Now go!" he insisted.

Xander was so startled that he left Cimberius and raced towards the tent. The moonlight came up from behind him, and for a second he thought he was racing against the moon. 'Luckily I have a good excuse to save my own skin,' Xander thought calmly, trying to keep his heart beat down.

Cornelius took in his friend Cato and three young women into his home. He couldn't help grabbing Cato's hand and whispering in his ear, "How much did you pay them?"

"They came here on their own accord," Cato admitted confidently, and proceeded to lead the three ladies toward the living room with his arms draped over their shoulders.

Cornelius could not believe his weird friend would get three women to join him for the evening; he had too many screws loose in his head for that to work. He looked at the three women, all of them staring up at him and Cato, and wondered what could drive them to be around with such an old man.

Cornelius closed the door, shaking his head. He had never seen Cato bring home one girl, not even when he and his friend spent countless nights at bars, he knew there had to be an explanation.

"I see you brought home three beautiful guests, Cato! Introduce me, will you?" Cornelius said, almost too forcefully.

Cato pointed imperviously at the couch so the three women could sit.

They sat, but grudgingly, and with a little flounce on their dresses. 

Cornelius paced around the room, arms folded, waiting for his friend. "Well?"

Cato swallowed, squirmed a little, waited for his butterflies to leave his stomach or at least subside. There would be no way to fully convince his friend Cornelius that he hadn't paid the women to come.

Cato pointed at the black-haired woman. "Cornelius, this is Brittany." To the younger brown-haired one. "Dawn." Then to the red-headed woman he had made out with at the tavern. "And Willow."

Cornelius shook his head in disbelief. Whether Cato met these women on a different planet or they had made up their names to him, he didn't know. He started to speak, but was cut off by Dawn.

"Cornelius huh? That's probably the most common name we've heard here in Rome," she said, smiling at her two friends at her sides. They both gave her a questionable glance.

"Right," Cornelius said simply. He glared at Cato. "Can I talk to you for a moment in private?"

Cato nodded reluctantly. He followed Cornelius into the kitchen.

The three women watched them in amusement and then back at each other.

"What's wrong? Was it something I said?" Dawn asked them.

Willow shook her head. "I think it's something else."

The kitchen door closed. "What are you doing, Cato?" Cornelius asked. "You think my home is some sort of brothel now?"

"No," Cato said quickly. He knew why the women were there but it couldn't be so easily described to Cornelius. "These girls know my former friends."

"And you expect me to be stupid enough to believe you?" Cornelius had made it to the kitchen counter, and he studied his friend's eyes.

"I hope so," Cato said, glancing nervously towards the door.

Cornelius sighed and settled back, his hands resting on the counter. "I would never call you a liar, Cato," he said. "But the truth is, there is no way I can believe you bring home three women without paying them for pleasure. So be a man and tell me."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Cato said, his usually straight shoulders stooping a little. He met Cornelius' gaze steadily. "They know Buffy and Xander too."

Cornelius closed his eyes, almost boiling with anger. His friend once mentioned that he knew Buffy and Xander and had let them in his home. Now he was telling him he met three young women who knew them. He was beginning to question his friend's sanity.

"Something wrong? You don't believe me?" Cato asked.

"You need to quit this obsession with Buffy and Xander, Cato," Cornelius said. He already knew his friend was weird, but now apparently he was weirder.

Cato was not content to let his friend make up his mind. "Why don't you ask them?"

Cornelius narrowed his eyes. "Why should I waste my time?"

Cato was out of the kitchen, holding the door open for Cornelius in a space of a heartbeat, impatient to show his friend the truth. "Come on. I insist."

Cornelius rolled his eyes. "All right."

Cornelius lifted his hands off the counter and stepped out of the kitchen into the living room. At the sight of the three women staring at him oddly, he hesitated. It made him suddenly feel uncomfortable.

Cato nudged his shoulder with his elbow. "Go on."

"Do you girls know Buffy and Xander?" Cornelius asked, half-expecting one of the girls to laugh in his face at the stupidity of the question.

"Yes!" all three of the girls cried simultaneously.

Cornelius' eyes widened as the terrible truth struck him.

"That," Cato said with affectionate resignation, "is proof. And you owe me an apology."

Cornelius' knee sagged; he nearly fainted to the ground. "I'm sorry."

Cato glanced at the women. "Now, let me tell you all about Buffy and Xander." He found a spot on the couch and sat beside them, ready to tell them all he knew.

Septimius Severus sat in a chair when Xander walked in the tent and he looked hardly sympathetic.

"You knew the time we had to leave," Severus said.

"I was longer than I thought I would be," Xander apologized.

"Perhaps my aggravated men can take their aggression out on you instead of Julianus' legions," Severus answered.

"My apologies, Severus, soon to be the rightful Emperor of Rome," Xander chastised; and he stepped in front of him and knelt with a look of regret that silenced Severus. "There was an injured man on the road. I did all that I could to save him..."

"An injured man? What happened to this man?" Severus immediately interrupted.

"He, he... got trampled by a horse. It was a sad-"

"Perhaps you should mind your tongue! Your excuse does not work for me."

"Yes, my governor," Xander said.

Severus gave Xander an odd look. Then he continued, "I have had many men's tongues cut out of their mouths for their lies."

"Oh... interesting," Xander said.

"Fool! You are a liar! A sad excuse for a soldier!"

"Sir, I'm very punctual. I was just late because of a personal matter, I swear it."

Septimius Severus paused and considered the sincerity of his words for a moment. He licked his lips and glanced over to his bodyguard. "What should his punishment be?"

"A sacrifice my lord."

Xander glanced back and forth at the bodyguard and Severus. He straightened his shoulders and stammered, "Whoa, whoa. S-s-sacrifice? I sacrifice my life for this legion."

"You do?" Severus asked.

Xander's eyes widened, and he realized that Severus had misunderstood what he had said. "No, no, no. I mean I sacrifice my life in battle for this legion. Not now."

"What use is this man for my legion?" Severus asked himself a loud. He looked at his bodyguard. "Licinius, what should I do with this... Xander Harris?"

"Not to insult you Severus," Licinius said. "But from what I heard, he is one of the best warriors in this camp."

Severus' expression was of pure incredulity. "Are you certain of this fact?"

Xander blushed with pride. 'One of the best warriors, huh?'

"He is indeed, sir," Licinius went on. "Take comfort that this boy knows now not to be late again."

Severus took in the important details immediately.

Xander's eyes darted all around, like a cornered animal. All the actions he had done that day played in his mind, and he wished he had made better choices, especially coming to the legion on time. Now the decision was on Septimius Severus.

"You may leave us," Severus said to Xander, and he pointedly turned to Licinius and added, "let's hope he doesn't mess up again."

Sighing and glancing back at Septimius Severus, Xander pulled open the tent and walked outside. Like he expected, his friend Cimberius was waiting next to the tent and when his friend caught glimpse of him, his face brightened.

"Oh, man! You didn't get punished!" Cimberius said to him happily.

Xander dropped gratefully onto his knees, his eyes squinting shut. "I won't be late again, that's for sure. Dear Jesus, oh dearest Jesus."

Cimberius raised one eyebrow slightly. "Jesus?"

Xander bit his lower lip, realizing he shouldn't have brought his true religion into the camp. "You know, I meant to say, Jupiter?"

"Oh..." 

At that moment to Xander, it seemed, he didn't care which person or god he thanked. He was alive.


	21. Kiss of Death

There were two Praetorian Guard soldiers on duty in the small, concealed-steel Camp's dungeon when the tall, dark-haired leader pushed open the door and stepped inside. He was wearing his armor and dressed in combat gear. His helmet was perched cockily toward the back of his head.

The two Praetorian Guards started to stand up.

"Stay seated," Pulcher said quickly, and added, "Good evening."

"Good evening, sir," the Praetorian Guards said, almost in unison.

"I came here to check the progress of Arpineius," Pulcher said. "Is he still alive?"

"Yes, sir," the older, at the age of around twenty-five- of the Praetorian Guards said. "You want to speak to him?"

"That's right," Pulcher said.

"I hate to ask this of you, sir," the older Praetorian guard said. "But I ask you stay at least five feet from his cell."

There were three cells in the dungeon, two cells containing five men in each, and a cell with less space and no lavatory with one person. Pulcher understood that cell was for Arpineius. Common soldiers are not given a cell to themselves, especially at the Praetorian Guard Camp's dungeon.

"Anytime you're ready, sir," the other Praetorian Guard said. "Do you want us to give you some privacy?"

"No, I'm okay," Pulcher said. "It won't take long."

"Remember to stay five feet away from the cell," the guard warned. 

Pulcher had a sudden thought, and he acted on it.

"There's no reason that Arpineius should be locked in a cell," Pulcher said. "Let him out. I'll talk to him as a soldier, not as a prisoner."

"Oh, I don't know, sir," the older guard said. "You know that he is suicidal."

"If anybody asks why you let him out, tell them I gave you a hard time about it," Pulcher said. "His hands are chained, I suppose?"

"Yes, sir, and there's an authorization that Arpineius doesn't leave this dungeon."

"Okay, then," Pulcher said. "I'll follow that rule."

"Pulcher, would you mind writing down that you wanted to let Arpineius out so we are not liable?"

"Sure. Got a quill?"

As Cato recounted how he had came across Xander sleeping against a tree and brought him to his home to rest and what had transpired when he carried Buffy to his home, the three women listened in silent amazement. Even after Cato had completed all the details of their stay, Willow sat quietly beside him for a time, apparently sorting through the information.

"Xander's parents were abusive, and his action of making you leave the house for hurting your wife makes complete sense to me," Willow said at last. "But like us, he was caught up in events he couldn't control. That is the past, though. From here on out, we can control what we do and don't do."

"Aye," Cato muttered bitterly. "My wife and daughter were killed while I was away from the house. I cannot have peace until I meet Xander for myself so he can tell me how and why they died. Then when I finally know that information, I can carry on with my life."

"We know that Buffy and Xander survived and were put in jail for a short time so we now know that the crime was committed by law enforcement. The law enforcement is the reason why your family was killed. But it's just as likely that the men who killed your family had planned it all along. It doesn't make sense... Buffy and Xander were guilty enough for the murderers to slaughter your family and put them in jail?"

"Aye, now that's what I thought." Cato leaned back into the couch. "Xander told me before he left me in the city that he had a feeling someone he knew was being hung. Figuring he was an outsider, I knew later on it had to be Buffy, no one else. The crime his friend Buffy committed must have been severe, or I doubt it would arouse interest from the law."

"Or it could have angered certain individuals..." Frustration filled Willow. "Is these Roman people dense in the head or just plain stupid? And if it is because of Buffy's severity of her crime, why would she and Xander be released so quickly from jail at the assassination of the Emperor?"

Cato shrugged. "Maybe it has nothing to do with any of the things we're discussing. Likely the soldiers of law enforcement got bloodthirsty."

"But what did Buffy do that-" As thoughts of Buffy's stubbornness and arrogance flooded back to Dawn, she cut herself off in midsentence. "Time travel! Is it possible that the Romans are wary of those who are different?" Her eyes narrowed. "If so, then that is why Buffy was set to be hung."

"I never thought to ask Xander why she was brought to my home." Cato glanced at Dawn. "There was always something special about the man, something unpredictable, warm about him. And I'm convinced he'd told me eventually about who he really was. I doubt he was even from England."

"No, he's not," Dawn said.

Grim smiles played across the three women's lips.

"All we have to do is wait. Sooner or later, Xander and Buffy will turn up. And when they do, we'll be there to see it," Brittany said.

"So, truth be told, Xander is not from England." Cato sat up. "Where's he from?"

The question took the women aback. Finally, Willow nodded. "I suppose we should be honest with you. We trust you enough to tell you this, so please don't tell anyone else."

Cato nodded. His eyes showed them a trust that couldn't be questioned.

"We are from the future," Willow continued. "From the 21st century... There was some mysterious force inside a bag that sent Buffy and Xander here. We had to make sure they were safe, so we transported here to find them."

"21st century?" Cato's challenge hung in the air between them. "This is the 2nd century!" He laughed, not taking the girls seriously. "No, really, tell me the truth. Where are you from?"

Willow vehemently shook her head. "We wouldn't lie to you, considering the circumstances we are in. We need to find Buffy and Xander as soon as possible."

"I knew Buffy and Xander were from a different time period when I met them but the 21st century!" Cato said, still laughing in disbelief that the people he met were from nineteen centuries ahead. He finally stopped laughing when he realized the girls still kept their straight faces. "If I am to believe you... I need proof. It's not that I don't trust you, but do you girls know anything about Roman history?"

"I do," Willow replied softly.

Gratitude for the girl's knowledge of history filled Cato. "Aye, okay," he said grudgingly, not at all convinced that Willow truly did know Roman history. "Who is the next Emperor after Didius Julianus?"

"There is a civil war this year..." Willow said, her mouth thinning in distaste. She took a moment to think of the Emperors. Then a person's name rang a bell. "Septimius Severus. He will lead his legion into Rome and Julianus' own Praetorian Guard will turn against him."

Instantly, the doubt in Cato's eyes melted. The fact that Willow knew about a governor thousands of miles away melted them. "Tea! You girls want some tea?"

Willow knew that Cato believed her. He was not a cynic as most Romans were. For the first time, he was not blind to what they were saying, and was able to see past the disbelief it would cause when someone was told they met with time travelers.

"Of course," Willow replied, drawing the two girls into a hug. She whispered so only Dawn and Brittany could hear. "Someone finally believes us."

Dawn nodded sleepily. "T-thank god."

Xander did not see Septimius Severus among the crowded legion or in person since he met with him in the tent that night. Walking among the other soldiers in the legion, he learned that he was walking with men that had already seen battle. One of the soldiers looked at Xander suspiciously when he asked about the benefits of being a soldier, and Xander told him the reason he asked was that he was growing tired of doing a lot of work without any pay.

Deep down, Xander was anxious to leave Gerasa. He had not returned to Silanus' home and never regretted so, even when Severus' legion past it, heading south on the road.

"What got you out of the punishment?" Cimberius asked, walking alongside his friend.

"In truth, his bodyguard mentioned at the last second that I was one of the best warriors in the camp."

Cimberius pretended to be shocked. "Best warrior in the camp? Who's been telling him those lies?"

Xander's jaw dropped and Cimberius laughed.

"You see... I made sure in advance you wouldn't get punished."

Xander wiped his mouth with his hand, looking at Cimberius as if in amazement. Aside from Cato letting him stay at his home, no one had ever done such a better thing to ensure his safety.

"Ah... Cimberius, I don't know what to say." He brightened. "Aside from thank you, of course."

The two friends laughed.

Xander considered his friend's bold action. He was certain that it could not only have been Cimberius telling Licinius that he was a great warrior to spare his life. By Licinius' conviction to the truth, there had to be have been more people spreading him the facts.

"It wasn't just you, right?" Xander's voice was loud and happy.

"No. But I am told not to give you their names!"

Xander's excitement was building. "So you got your other friends to do it?"

"You can say that. It wasn't hard to make them do it. You're loved by a majority of the camp. They'll miss you, you know?"

Xander wanted to shout with joy. The pace of his heart quickened, but he fought to hold his enthusiasm in check, struggling against even a hint of a smile. He did not want Cimberius to know how happy he really was that he escaped Severus' tent unscathed. "I didn't know." Within, however, Xander swelled with a sense of accomplishment. 'What a mark I left on the camp,' he thought.

"You're glad I told the bodyguard that, aren't you, Xander?"

"Oh, hell yes."

"Ah it was only a few minutes upon the arrival of Severus that I knew how important his bodyguard was. I knew by reputation how ruthless Severus was to his own men. I hoped that I would spread enough details to Licinius that Severus would change his decision. And thankfully he did."

"Could I have been killed?"

"Killed? It's possible, but I think they would have done something horrible to you... Torture, perhaps."

"Torture? Like sacrifice, right?"

"If you consider torture and sacrifice being the same thing. They would probably remove something from your body; an ear, eye-"

"Tongue," Xander added, shaking his head.

The two laughed wickedly.

Xander and Cimberius walked side by side with the other forty-eight volunteers and a hundred of Severus' battle-worn soldiers. They did not know where they would stop along the trip to Rome, but they both knew it would be a fun time.

Arpineius sat still for a moment. His strength was nonexistent; his hands and feet had been numb and cold the rest of the night, which made him feel sometimes as if he were dead already. In front of his cell, he saw Pulcher coming in closer, holding onto the keys to his cell. He was going to be let free, be a free man again. He shut his eyes for a moment, unwilling to face his captor.

"Arpineius," Pulcher murmured, and Arpineius opened his eyes and took a warm cup of water from him.

"My friend, I have heard about what you tried to do earlier today," Pulcher said quietly, stepping in and closing the cell.

"You did?" Arpineius sipped his water, the taste faintly metallic on his tongue. "You give me poison?"

Pulcher's dark eyes searched eagerly over Arpineius' face, assembling the progress of his condition, wondering when he would try to kill himself again. He knelt beside his former friend, who lay weak against the wall. "No."

"Damn," Arpineius said, and smiled, and nodded. "You come here to set me free?"

"Yes," Pulcher said, putting his hand on his shoulder, his eyes sharp. "You deserve better."

"No," Arpineius said mildly, "I failed the Emperor. I deserve death."

Pulcher glared full into Arpineius' face. "Perhaps if you had not went on the roof to see our approach, you would not have failed. You forgot how I knew that roof was never used."

Arpineius sat back, his face tightening over his bones, his jaw jutting. He could feel himself dying in pieces.

"I know what you want to use me for," Arpineius said. He chucked the empty cup across the cell. "And I will not face the Emperor and tell him everything's all right. You would have to break every bone of my body until that day would come."

Pulcher gave a scoffing laugh. "That can be arranged."

"You forget... I want pain... I want to die," Arpineius said, his voice sharp with insistence, almost chiding him, as if he had failed at his goal. "There is no way you can go un-punished for the butchery of all those men. I will not do what you say... If I do... those men who bled the dirt red inside this camp will have all died in vain."

"They died because of a foolish Emperor," he said. "I can take some of the blame for that. I helped him assume the throne."

Arpineius straightened, no longer slouching against the wall. "So you want me to meet with Julianus?"

"Yes."

At that, Arpineius made a face, signifying how easy his former friend trusted him with such a visit. He lifted his laughing eyes to him. "Well, if that happens, you can bet I will tell the Emperor everything I know that occurred here today."

"Oh I know you will," Pulcher said. The brown-haired soldier stood and walked away from the cell, long-striding, as if he would happily leave Arpineius behind him. "That's why you'll be accompanied by two of my men." He broke into a trot for a few steps and closed the cell on his way out.

Arpineius gave up trying to corrupt his purity. "I'll do it," he said. His words made him feel suddenly sick. He who would never embrace such corruption, who would never respect Pulcher's decisions and never be weak. "Just let me out of here."

"Okay," Pulcher said. He started to open the cell up. Before he could notice and back away from the cell for precaution, Arpineius was in front of him. He stood with his head down, his hands chained behind him. Once Pulcher had opened the cell, he pushed Arpineius out ahead of him. "Don't do anything stupid."

For a moment they stared hatefully at one another. Then Arpineius walked aimlessly through the dungeon, as if he only now noticed where he was.

Along the travel to Rome, Severus' legion stopped at many villages and gathered more men. They traveled for two hours before they obtained word that Rome was within reasonable riding distance. Xander and Cimberius had both questioned many of the men along the way about when to sleep and got no straight answer. It was when they reached Ostia, the acclaimed busiest port of Rome, when they received the answer.

Xander and Cimberius went to a meeting with Septimius Severus at the center of a burial ground. They sat Indian style with the other hundreds of soldiers and were served bread and wine by the native villagers. 

"My grandfather once told me that the food here in Ostia is the best in the Empire," Cimberius told Xander. "Ostia is one of the best routes for trade, and it serves food from all around the world."

Xander chewed on his piece of bread. "If they do, why are they serving bread?"

"They have more quantity of it. There is no way we can truly enjoy good food with hundreds of other soldiers."

"So you've done this kind of thing before?"

Thinking about the war with the Sarmatians he was involved with, one of the villages he stopped at came to mind. "There was this one village, where the villagers were so in awe of us that they sacrificed a hundred bulls for us. The meat there was delicious... and the bull especially."

"No bull. Really?"

"No, there were bulls. I told you... they were slaughtered."

Xander laughed at the playfulness he caused. "It's a saying my people use. When someone can't believe something, they say, 'no bullshit.' But in my case, I just said, 'no bull.'"

Cimberius quirked an inquisitive eyebrow. "Englishmen have strange ways of expressing themselves. I'm glad I haven't been there before, I'd look foolish talking to some of them."

"Nah, you'd be fine." Xander inhaled a shuddering breath, then squared his shoulders. "Does the soldiers ever get any benefits?"

"You've already asked someone about that," Cimberius murmured, sipping his cup of wine.

"No, I mean benefits like women. Don't you guys ever get lonely?"

"Women?" Cimberius raised his eyebrows, then after a few seconds of thinking, smiled. "Yes we have benefits like that."

Xander hesitated. "How so?"

Cimberius shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. "Why do you care? You have a beautiful woman waiting back at Paulus' for you."

"You got a good point, there."

Xander glanced at Septimius Severus at the front of the soldiers, in the process of doing a speech to his men. He was too far ahead of the hundreds of soldiers sitting that Xander couldn't make out what he was saying.

He turned to look at Cimberius. "Is what he's saying important?"

Cimberius closed his eyes and leaned back, his hands firmly rested on the ground behind his back. "Nope. It's just for morale purposes."

"Hey maybe I should give Duratius that note now," Xander suggested.

Cimberius softened his gaze at his friend. "If you want."

When Severus was done making his short, brief speech, Xander stood up from the hundreds of men. Drawing the note from his pouch, Xander waited until other soldiers stood and moved until he would find Duratius. Holding his note firmly in his hand, he watched as a bunch of soldiers moved across the village, enjoying the sights. He caught a glimpse of Duratius within one group.

"There you are, you bastard," Xander said softly, so no one could hear.

Willow was told by Cornelius that she'd find Cato in the bedroom at the far right door in his home.

Cato laid faceup on a couch that was covered with fur and placed next to the open windows so that the night's cold air lent a nice chill to his skin. He was wearing only a robe.

"Hey Willow. What is it that you need?"

"Ohhhh," Willow began. "I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you letting us stay in this home for a while."

Willow moved slowly to the sofa opposite Cato. She sank into the cushions, at a loss for words.

"It's Cornelius whom you should thank. He's a good friend of mine. Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"No, I'm just not tired."

"Thinking about your friends, Buffy and Xander?"

She nodded sadly. "Yes, and some other things."

"It's not something I haven't lost sleep over either, Willow. I want to see them just as badly as you do."

"I can't take much of this waiting any longer, Cato. I don't want to be searching for them if they're already dead."

"You were good friends with them?"

Willow related in detail what her friendship was like with Buffy and Xander, what it meant to her.

Cato's interest was fully aroused by the time Willow finished. "I take back what I said earlier. It means more to you, I suppose."

"I guess."

"If you saved the world together as you said, a bunch of times, I think that is a damn good friendship. Hardly believable, but a good friendship!"

"I don't expect you to believe everything I tell you," Willow said softly. "Only what I want you to. I'm glad you believe we came from the 21st century."

"Ah, that one is still difficult to fathom," Cato muttered.

"What if I told you I was a lesbian?"

"Oh, Willow," Cato said with a sigh, "you're acting silly." He was on his feet now, taking short steps about the room.

Willow was uncertain whether Cato would be pleased or alarmed. "I am telling you the truth."

"Ha!" Cato laughed, his hazel eyes appraising Willow. "There is no way you can be a lesbian. Why... you kissed me at the tavern today! You can't say you're gay after that!"

"I don't know why I did it. I guess I needed some... comfort."

Cato wouldn't buy it. "Willow, you are not gay. Please tell me you have an attraction to guys."

Willow shook her head, making it clear to Cato. "I'm sorry."

"Good god!" Cato shrieked as he ran out of the room.

Willow took a deep breath. "Well... he took it better than I thought."

Xander handed the sealed note to Duratius. "From Silanus. He told me to tell you that this was 'important.'"

Duratius glared at the messenger. "I'm not in the mood for games, boy," he said. "Leave my sight, eat some bread, and I'll talk to you after I've read this."

"As you wish, Duratius." Xander bowed, turned, and ran away.

Xander made sure he was out of sight before Duratius broke the seal and opened the note. It was dated for that day, the fifth day of April, and despite the unsteady hand used to write it, Duratius immediately recognized the script as that of Silanus. As his gaze took in the disturbing phrases, however, Duratius' gut clenched in horror, then ever escalating fury.

Dear Duratius,

My friend... I hate to inform you but I have been sleeping with your wife for the last couple of months... I don't know the motive for my actions, but one can take it for love... Her beauty is unmatched to any other woman I've met in my life... I deeply apologize for any pain this may cause you. It was a cruel thing for me to lie to you that Xander was doing the deed. Good luck on your trip to Rome.

From your friend,  
Silanus

"Motherfucker!" Duratius cried, tearing the note into shreds.

As hard as it was not to laugh, Xander watched from behind one of the tents in the village.

"Hope that keeps him off my back," Xander said and he walked away.


	22. What Shall We Do About Julianus?

April 6, 193

Acacia and Illeana remained in Xander's thoughts. Acacia's piercing dark eyes and Illeana's laughing smile haunted him. Illeana's words of playfulness dallied in his ears, prompting in Xander a thought that made him dare to think he would see her again. Did the man he heard say, 'This girl is a virgin, Arpineius,' rape and really kill her? He wondered.

Xander realized, however, that odds are, Acacia and Illeana were both dead. He was lucky. And he was for the time being, after all, safe in his surroundings.

But for now, Xander was having nightmares constantly of the two women. He would have to find some way to deal with this problem, but if he never gave any justice to their murders, Xander would find it hard to live with himself. He had stepped aside from the issue, not only out of his love for Buffy, but also out of the belief that he could not fully avenge their deaths.

Over the past week, he had adapted to life as a Roman soldier. He had not known what to expect before leaving with Cimberius for training, tales he had remembered of cruelty from middle school by Roman soldiers had fallen into his sub-consciousness. However, he found the army essentially no different from what he knew of the American military. His soldier costume at Halloween had gave him an extensive knowledge of the hardships and guerilla lifestyle that the Romans certainly proved were no less American.

That night, he slept miserably, awakening to find himself alone on the ground. A fire flickered weakly on slabs of wood beside him. 'It must be real early in the morning,' Xander thought. For a moment he was certain he heard something stir in the darkness. His first thought was of an assassin, and his heart tightened. Long minutes ticked by, with the only sound a faint sputtering from the fire. Xander found himself staring at the blurred shadows on the timbered wood, slowly entering himself back to sleep.

Acacia and Illeana's faces seemed then to fuse in the fire, their features blending into one image, unrecognizable, dark and threatening. Their eyes fused into two new pair of eyes. The eyes of someone he knew. Someone he hated and feared. His heart pounded. Who was it? The dark eyes glowed and though Xander realized eyes could not harm him, he knew that the eyes he saw in the fire were dangerous.

The eyes moved in circles in the fire as if to put him in a trance. "No," Xander wanted to yell. What were those eyes?

Somehow, he gathered within himself the strength to get to his feet. This occurrence was strange, Xander told himself, but certainly worth remembering.

Xander turned around to search for any life. He needed to be with someone. The soldiers were probably at the other end of the village, he guessed.

There was nobody around the ground he slept on, so he left. After walking a far distance, Xander spotted a soldier snoring under a wool-clad blanket on the ground. The uniform on the man hidden under the blanket identified him as someone high in the ranks.

Xander knelt beside the man and slowly laid to the ground, half-expecting the soldier to be woken and upset of his presence. But the man continued snoring and Xander relaxed. His nightmares would hopefully subside with company of another. That was the most he hoped for.

Didius Julianus was sitting at a wooden oak table he often thought should be in a museum, working his way through the fifteen-inch high stack of paper that had accumulated over the past few days.

With the approach of Septimius Severus came a life-or-death responsibility: The paperwork on his table involved a measure to appoint Severus joint ruler. The written signatures of the senators approving such a measure occupied all of the papers.

As Julianus signed his name for the thirtieth time in the signature blocks throughout the papers, he thought again about how desperate his situation had become. The Senate had forced the issue to him, for the sake of his life and future of the Empire. The request for joint rule had been as inevitable as it was shocking. And very frustrating.

Julianus had been naive when he believed that his association with his legions would be an absolute end to Severus' power and attempt to overthrow him.

It had been made clear to him after the Praetorian Guard were disinterested in building fortifications around Rome, his assassins for Severus returning each time without success, that it would be impossible for him to stay as sole ruler. So the senate found something promising for him to do. 

He didn't particularly like the idea of joint rule, because he suspected one would eventually try to overthrow the other, but he didn't have a choice. His legions were disloyal and a little disheartened to be sent on orders now by him as defenders, not offenders of the Empire.

There was a loud pounding on his door.

"You may come," Julianus said loudly. It was more than likely a servant sent by another to help him through the paperwork. More than ever now he was being pampered and treated like a true Emperor, as if the servants knew he wouldn't be ruling much longer.

It was not a servant.

"Am I interrupting anything, Caesar?" one of his assassins asked as he stepped in the room.

Julianus quickly stood up.

"No, not at all," Julianus said. "Pius, were you successful in eliminating Severus?"

Pius chuckled sarcastically.

"You ought to see how heavily guarded Septimius Severus is. He is getting more protection than you are, Caesar," he said.

"Severus is doing this not for power," Julianus said. "Actually, he's doing it for revenge of the execution of Laetus."

"Didn't Laetus appoint Severus as governor of Upper Pannonia?"

"Yes. Severus is doing this for revenge," Julianus said. "Where is he stationed?"

Pius thought for a moment.

"Ostia," he said. "Permission to speak honestly, Caesar?"

Julianus nodded.

"I feel compelled to ask you," Pius said. "I've heard Severus has support of the entire Rhine army, and sixteen legions. What are your plans for defense?"

"There is none," Julianus replied confidently. "The Senate finally sent me a proposal about a couple hours ago. Severus and I are to be joint rulers."

"You cannot be serious, Caesar," Pius said, frowning. "Severus and his men are within a mile from the city. There is no reason for joint rule."

Julianus had to laugh. "Let me tell you, Pius," he began. "The senate has not failed me yet. If they send me documents of joint rule, then there will be a joint rule. Severus has no power over the Senate."

Pius suddenly became serious.

"I hope you are right, Caesar, about the Senate's power," Pius said.

"You hope?" Julianus mocked. "I am friends with most of the senators. I know their wives, sons, and daughters. They treat me like I am one of their own."

"Do you think they'll betray you?" Pius asked.

"There is no way," Julianus said. "Even with Severus' sixteen legions and the Rhine army in Rome, the Senators will hold firm to their conviction. The senate represent the people, and without the people, Severus cannot rule."

"Yes," Pius said simply. "But I am sure the armies will spread fear within the Senate. Their ties to you can easily be broken upon the sight of a sword."

"Well," Julianus said. "We'll just have to find out."

"I hope for the best of you, Julianus," Pius said. Then he paused. "I am sorry for failing you."

"You said it yourself," Julianus said, very seriously, "the man has more protection than I do."

"Your family doesn't seem to be all that worried," Pius informed.

"Because I made sure they are not. Manlia and Didia have no reason to be told of such political nonsense," Julianus said. "I wish not to see them until this matter is solved."

"Oh," Pius said with sarcastic innocence, "Even if it means waiting in the Elysian Fields."

He was expecting a reaction from Julianus, but not the emotional one he thought he saw in his eyes.

"I will not die," he said. "Why would I be killed?"

Day came, Severus' legion went to the dining hall as they were told. Xander leaned on the back of a wooden chair and watched the soldiers fill up the huge hall. More than half of the legion arrived, all circling around him. Xander had been inside the dining hall long before Severus called for breakfast there, expecting the order to come eventually. He sat comfortably in his wooden chair, as all kinds of soldiers speedily sat around him, seasoned warriors, men from Gerasa, soldiers who had fought in Severus' legion for years. It seemed whenever they were told to do something from Severus, they obeyed quickly and willingly.

Beside him, Severus' general, Cnaeus Clodius, asked, "Will Cimberius soon join us?"

"He's over there," Xander noted. His best friend, Cimberius, was coming in. He had just woken up that morning, having slept in a bed at a house. Xander had discovered about Cimberius' stay at the house because of Cnaeus' knowledge of his whereabouts. He could not understand how he knew such information. 'Reminds me of a spy,' Xander thought.

Coming in with Cimberius was Septimius Severus. He sent for no one to announce his presence. He merely came into the hall with Cimberius, and stood there, until suddenly the knowledge their leader was there swept across the hall, and all of the soldiers turned. They fell silent at once. Even Clodius stood up from his seat; other lesser soldiers got on their knees in his honor.

The sight of awe and respect from his soldiers always moved Severus. Proudly he went forward, to bring himself to a place of honor at a table.

Xander sat staring at his friend Cimberius. Cimberius came up in front of him.

"You're earlier than I expected. I didn't think you'd sleep well."

"I didn't," Xander said.

Cimberius took a seat to the left of Xander. He felt it urgent to explain to him what happened the previous night.

"Some villagers took me in to their home. I would've asked you to come but-"

"I know, Cimberius. Let's just eat."

Cimberius frowned. "You know?"

Xander glanced at him a moment longer, turned to his food, and picked up his plate.

"Girls, we have to talk," Willow said a short time later as she closed the chamber door firmly behind her.

Dawn and Brittany turned about in their beds to see their friend.

Brittany arched a brow. "What's wrong, Willow?"

Willow stopped at the foot of Brittany's bed and stared at her. She paced between her and Dawn as she explained what she had told Cato. Neither of them appeared to have believed her, and she had to admit she didn't really blame them. The story did sound like an elaborate nightmare, and if she were them, would find it difficult to understand why she would do it.

"Alright. Cato probably appreciates your honesty but we can't afford to be kicked out in the streets, Willow," Brittany said thoughtfully after several moments of silence. "Why would you tell him you're a lesbian in the first place?"

"I didn't want him to get his hopes up about me," Willow replied harshly only to be silenced by a look from Dawn.

"How do you know he liked you anyway?" Dawn asked calmly.

"Him and I... well, we made out at the tavern."

Biting back an angry retort, Brittany looked first at Dawn, then Willow, "If you didn't want to get his hopes up, why kiss him?"

"I was lost in the moment. I regretted it ever since I did it." Willow said firmly.

"Willow, I think you should be more careful," Brittany said softly as she moved to the edge of her bed and began removing her under garments. "Cato may be our only hope to getting to see Buffy and Xander again. I do not want him hurt. These are our friends we're talking about. My boyfriend and Dawn's sister."

"They're my best friends."

"Well, if you want to see your 'best friends,' don't go admitting too much personal information. The time traveling thing was pushing it far enough." She turned to Dawn and added, "I'm going to get changed."

As Brittany left the room, Dawn jumped from her bed and hurried across the room to Willow's side. "You're okay, right? He didn't treat you bad, did he?" she asked as she leaned in close.

"Calm down, Dawn. He actually reacted better than most guys I've told," Willow said calmly, staring into Dawn's blue eyes. She knew she had taken a risky chance telling Cato she was a lesbian, but she felt it was something she had to do.

The overtaking of Pulcher's men over the camp had left many soldiers passed out in a drunken coma. Few remained observant, guarding the camp as routine ordered. Their new leader, the stubborn Pulcher, was sprawled out on his bed within his own chamber, saving his strength in anticipation of the upcoming day.

Within a tent in the middle of the camp, Arpineius stood wearily against a unyielding support pole. The pole served as a shackle in conjunction with the chains that secured his tired arms and back. He shifted into many positions, trying to relieve the pain that shot up and down his back. Fatigued, his light amber eyes scanned over the slumbered guard over a table inside the tent. Underneath the table where empty jugs lay sat the keys to his chains.

Arpineius stared for what seemed an eternity at the keys, before finally deciding it was worth a try to break free. He cried out in agonizing pain as he tugged hard against the pole. A soldier then walked to the front of the chained prisoner.

"Don't even think about it, traitor," Antistius said. He watched his old friend and cringed. He knew that Arpineius wouldn't comply with Pulcher. He knew that the man was incapable of doing anything Pulcher asked. He just hoped that he would be frightened enough to do what Pulcher wanted. Antistius looked at the pole. "That should keep you here for a while."

"I should be free!" Arpineius cried out.

Annoyed at his whining, Antistius pushed the guard stationed there, making him wake up. "You drunk fool, this man is trying to escape!"

The inexperienced soldier jumped from his laying position and looked to see Antistius glaring down at him. Pity, regret, and confusion passed over the soldier. He frowned and shook his head, more of an attempt to shake the drunkenness than anything else.

Antistius turned his attention to the prisoner, pointing his index finger directly at Arpineius. "I talked with Pulcher last night. This afternoon, you are to be accompanied by Tarquin and I when we meet with the Emperor."

Arpineius seethed with anger and as Antistius walked past him to inspect the chains, he grabbed his arm. A startled look crossed Antistius' face.

"You used to obey my orders for years, Antistius. You once killed a young girl for me," Arpineius said. "Why do you ally yourself with Pulcher when you know I am the better leader?"

"Everybody wants power," he said.

Arpineius shuddered at the similar words of a man who used to be good friends with him. He was now a catalyst for corruption with Pulcher.

Arpineius' expression softened seeing Antistius struggle to break free from his grasp. He sighed and let his grip go.

"Antistius, I don't understand what happened to you. I always saw you as the brother I never had. I wanted happiness and peace for you, not lust for power."

Antistius flared his nostrils as he breathed out. "Well, my friend, you don't know me as much you thought you did."

Arpineius stood silent for a moment. "You see me as a traitor, well I see you the same way. I knew what Pulcher was doing, and it had to be stopped. It's unfortunate I didn't go for it earlier."

"You wouldn't have outsmarted Pulcher." Antistius spat back.

"If you had been out of the way, I would have."

"I wasn't even here for the battle."

Arpineius' head fell into his hands. "Perhaps Pulcher is smarter than I thought."

"Your underestimation of him cost you many men. In all my time here, I never thought less of Pulcher. That is why I am now second in command. I'm very proud of what I'm accomplished in my stay here. Someday... who knows? I can be an Emperor. It'll-"

"Don't be so sure, Antistius," Arpineius cut him off abruptly and with a disapproving tone. "You make a grave mistake in trusting Pulcher."

Antistius laughed. "At least I'm not the one in chains."

Arpineius sucked in his breath and looked away.

Antistius remained quiet before moving away from his old friend. He looked him over briefly once more and left.

Xander dropped the pale bone back onto the plate, and wiped his fingers on a napkin; big and dirty as the hall was, it served quality food, and the wine was excellent. He glanced at Cimberius, on his left, to share his opinion with him on this, but Cimberius as usual was taking minuscule bites, busy eating the chicken.

Xander turned instead to Cnaeus, who was sitting on his right. "This food is superb," he said.

Cnaeus had finished eating. He sat slumped back in his chair, his belly grouped up in front of him like a beer belly. "Very superb. Thank the gods."

"Ostia has a good reputation for its food." Xander learned a lot from Cimberius, one piece of information being that Ostia was renowned for its food.

"Perhaps. It has a better reputation for its women though," Cnaeus said.

Cimberius laughed. His gaze swung around toward Cnaeus, and he lifted his voice, to reach him sitting two seats to his right. "Cnaeus, don't get Xander in the mood for women. He has a beautiful woman waiting back home for him."

Cnaeus leaned his arms on the table. "I have a woman too. But I can't keep my hands off the stunning women in this Empire. How is my wife going to find out anyway?"

Xander coughed. "I thought Roman generals had good morals." He waved his hand, and one of the servants hurried up to bring him a cup of water.

"We do," Cnaeus said, and twisted to face Cimberius. "Why, I ask, are you holding your friend back from the women he deserves? It's his decision, not yours."

Cimberius blushed under the intense words from the general. He leaned his head forward out across the table to stare past Xander to Cnaeus. "He's my friend. I look out for him. Besides, he loves-"

Cnaeus muttered an obscenity under his breath.

Cimberius gave a quick look around him to see if anyone was overhearing their conversation.

"Well, let the boy decide for himself." Cnaeus glanced at Xander. "Well... do you mind the company of other women?"

Xander's voice rose, keen. "Of course not. But I love this girl."

Cimberius sneered. "Now you have the words from Xander, himself. He loves the woman."

"I love my wife, too. So what if you get some other women?" Cnaeus said.

Cimberius ignored him and sat firm in his seat, his gaze aimed directly at Cnaeus. "For a general, you disappoint me. You have the morals to lead, but when it comes to women, you have none."

Cnaeus blinked, startled at his boldness. Deep down, it impressed him. Most of hall now quieted to listen to their argument. He frowned. "If you were a soldier, you wouldn't even think about staying faithful to your wife. The life itself forbids faithfulness."

Cimberius raised his voice. "As a soldier, you must remain faithful to the Empire. If you are unfaithful to the woman you love, what makes you faithful to the Empire?" Several men in the hall cheered their support for his words.

"I will not sit here and allow to be talked to like this. I am a general, you are just a soldier," Cnaeus said.

"We're all soldiers here," Xander said loudly, eliciting cries of support.

"Yes we are," Cnaeus agreed. "But I am a general. I lead the soldiers."

"What, you're not a soldier?" Cimberius asked.

Most of the hall erupted into laughter. Cnaeus slumped back into his seat, looking embarrassed.

Xander blinked at Cimberius, his brown eyes clear with respect. "You're too brave."

"I learned from you, my friend," Cimberius said.

Cnaeus sat up, angry. "I'm full." He had already finished his meal and had no right being pestered by a soldier, he decided. He stomped out of the hall.

Cimberius sat back, struggling to calm himself down after his words with the general. Down at the end of the hall, soldiers were looking him over like he was Septimius Severus. He had gained spite with generals who overheard their conversation but more importantly, popularity with the ordinary soldiers.

Xander cast a glance down the dining hall. At the very end, Septimius Severus sat, his head shaking in disappointment at Cimberius. As Xander watched, he drank down the water, and placed the cup aside.

"I'm glad I didn't do the talking," Xander said, remembering he had been in trouble with Severus before.

"I can't believe Cnaeus. He believes cheating on your wife is necessary," Cimberius said.

"He has a right to his own beliefs," Xander said. "But I'm glad he's not as close to me as you are. You had a good influence on my actions so far. I appreciate that. If I had been led by that man-"

"Hey, I'll be honest with you. Sleeping with men's wives, and single women is not bad. It just is in your case because the woman waiting for you, is not worth cheating on."

Xander sank into his chair. "Tell me, Cimberius... Do you think she probably cheated on me?"

Cimberius looked his friend deep in the eyes. "Believe me, Xander. I saw love in her eyes each time her eyes caught sight of yours."

"But what if she thinks I'm dead?"

"My grandfather is a very positive person. He wouldn't give Buffy any doubt that you are alive."

By the time the sun cast its first warming rays down on the earth, Buffy was out on the deck. When she found Paulus gone and guessing him to be back in the house, she decided to go inside. As soon as she stepped inside she saw him, leaning against a railing.

"Good morning, Buffy," he said, nearing his guest.

"Hello." Buffy greeted, turning and leaning her back to the door so she'd be facing the old man. "Did you have a good night of sleep?"

"As soon as I stopped worrying about Xander and Cimberius, I did."

"Oh," Buffy said, letting out a sigh. "I have the same problem."

"I have this strange feeling that the two may not come back again. I mean, how long have they been out there?"

"Nine days."

"You still believe they will come back?" Paulus asked but as he peered into Buffy's blue eyes he could see the answer already.

"I'm sure they will come back. Both men can survive on their own."

Buffy's optimism was answered with a hard glare.

"Nine days is too long. I know you care about them and so do I, but there's a time when we just have to move on," Paulus pressed on. "I'm sick of us worrying about them every hour of the day." Paulus paused, waiting for Buffy to comment on his words.

Still a statue, Buffy remained with her back against the closed door and her gaze lost somewhere out of a window to the sun. The only thing moving was the shifting of her blonde hair as the breeze came in through the open window.

"Well... you still think they're going to come?" Paulus persisted.

"Yes, I do."

"Yes? You just said they've been gone nine days! I can't believe we're still going to be sitting here, with our fingers crossed, locked in this house and prevented from having any fun."

"Stop it! I don't want to hear it!"

"But when will it end...?" Paulus asked, feeling a little guilty for pushing Buffy to move on from the two men.

With a long sigh, Buffy turned around and opened the door, leading outside to the deck.

"Where are you going?"

"I need some fresh air," Buffy said with a smirk. "There's too much pessimism in here."

Someone chirped at Decimus' side as he wove his way through the busy corridors of the rounded Senate forum. Turning to the person's voice, he shouted, "What!"

"Hello, Decimus, it's Flavius," the voice announced.

Smiling broadly, his mood elevated and said, "Sorry, Flavius. I thought you were some annoying citizen."

"No. I am just here along with the other senators to discuss the future of our Emperor."

Squeezing through a throng of senators, Decimus puzzled over the question of what to do about Julianus when Severus' army was stationed just outside the city of Rome. "It will just have to come down to a vote. The majority wins."

"You're right. But what will we vote on?"

As Decimus turned the corner and headed towards his seat in the forum, he sighed and said, "Whether we keep Julianus as Emperor."

"Oh. So his life is in our hands?"

A grin flashed over Decimus' face. "Yes. Finally we can use some of our power over the Emperor."

Smoothing the many layers of his long, uncomfortable toga, Decimus took a seat. He stared across the forum. To his right, Neratius Vibius sat at his seat. His light eyes bore nervously in his direction because he knew he had a strong influence on the measure that was up for vote that day. As Decimus flashed an encouraging grin in his direction, he had the worst feeling that Neratius might brush aside the motion to sentence Julianus to death. If he voted against it, he knew many of the senators would do the same.

From directly across him, Decimus observed the wise, noble Parvus of Merida and his fellow countrymen of senators crammed beside him. Decimus knew that as long as they felt their lives were in jeopardy with Severus' men close to the city, they probably would vote unanimously in favor of death to Julianus that day. Parvus was in favor of a Republic and voted as little as possible for more power granted to the Emperors. However, he didn't have the guts to stand up to what he believed in. With Severus' army a possible threat to his life, Decimus knew that the Republican would bow to a dictatorship.

The talking and noise in the Senate quieted down in an instant when the Senate leader, Probus, called the session to order. "Please, senators settle down. We have an important decision to make. As all of you are aware of... Septimius Severus has brought his legion to Ostia, only a mile away from the capital. After deliberating on many ways to resolve this crisis at hand... yesterday, we voted secretly on whether we should determine if Julianus should be removed from power. The Senate recognizes that these votes were in favor of voting for the possibility of removal from office of Julianus. But before we vote... we are open to any debate..."

Clenching his fists in his lap, Decimus gritted his teeth, readying himself for Neratius' eventual plea for Julianus' life.

Standing up, the tall man readjusted the badges on his toga. Then his voice boomed, "My fellow senators, I stand before you now as a loyal servant to the Empire. For ten years, I have been in this Senate and have worked alongside many great people. One of them was the Emperor himself. To refresh your fickle minds... Pertinax once stood at the center of this forum, asking Julianus for advice on what to do. Julianus is no soldier, like Severus today, or Pertinax before. He is no spoiled maniac like Commodus or philosopher like Aurelius. He was a senator before assuming power, and still is a senator at heart when at power. To vote on his life, is like voting upon one of our lives. He is one of us. I propose to you all to vote against the motion of death towards Julianus. He has a wife and daughter. They don't deserve to lose a husband and a father. And we don't deserve to lose an Emperor."

Murmurs echoed throughout the forum. Decimus' smirk soured, showing his immediate dislike for having heard someone with great influence go against what he believed in.

Grinning brightly at the way he had aroused discussion in the forum, Neratius continued, "I believe that it is time for the Empire to re-evaluate our standing in this world. For many years under Commodus, our lives were in danger. There was never any peace within ourselves, even though there was peace outside ourselves. We should be enjoying our life under one Emperor, like we did with Marcus Aurelius. What precedent do we send as the civilization that rules the world to be invaded by an army and give its military leader the throne? The heart of our Empire is at risk of falling into ruins because we have allowed men to gain power themselves, not at our own hands. If you plan on voting for death on Julianus, remember that we are not in control of putting Severus in power. We are only in control of removing a good Emperor from power."

Decimus could see many senators were nodding their heads in agreement. He found himself admitting that Neratius had a point. He never argued with the fact that Romans should have a leader like Aurelius or the senators were not in control of who could be Emperor, he just never agreed how Julianus assumed power. Being appointed by the Praetorian Guard was a lot worse than entering the country with an army, he knew.

Taking a deep breath, Neratius concluded, "If we kill a man like Julianus, then who is safe to be Emperor? Is that not why we are senators to move on to assume the throne? Who would want the throne if one of our best senators is killed?"

Stunned silence filled the forum as the Senators collectively stared towards the Senate leader, Probus, who's face was now a pale white color. His years in the Senate helped mask his shock to a certain degree, but many of the senators could see the impact Neratius' speech had on him.

From the top levels of the Senate a voice called out, "I second the motion!"

A third voice cried, "I third the motion!"

After the third senator's voice silenced, chaos erupted through the chamber. Probus allowed two minutes of uninterrupted yelling to continue before he angrily pounded his fist into his table. The sound of his fist ricocheted throughout the forum, quieting all conversation.

"For those of you who have jumped on Neratius' side, you are fools. His propaganda is as clear as the sky! I will not allow all of your great minds to be corrupted and not used because of a man who clearly doesn't know what keeping Julianus in power means... Yes, he is a good man. But that is not what makes an Emperor! We didn't elect him! He was elected by the Praetorian Guard... without our knowledge!" Probus boomed.

Neratius' face turned red with hatred. "You are the Senate leader, the very least you can do is be neutral and let all of the Senators decide. By imposing your opinion on others, that takes away the very right of debate you insured in the first place!"

Probus narrowed his eyes at Neratius. "Know your place at this forum, Neratius. I am in this position today because I earned it. And you are in the position you are in today because you earned it. My opinion matters because I lead this Senate. As leader, I feel I am entitled to spread my opinion to others and they can make their decision based on that."

Calls for Julianus' death swarmed throughout the chamber. Before long, the senators were again yelling at each other. Decimus could tell that the decision was leaning in his favor.

Pounding his fist onto the table in front of him, Probus shouted, "This senate will come to order! I would like every one of you to cast your vote by raising your hand. When I call for a hand vote for the motion of death, raise your hand. The majority wins in the Senate. I don't want any discussion starting now. Do not put your hand down until my scribe is finished counting all of the votes."

Decimus turned to Flavius. "I say you vote for the motion of death, Flavius," he said. "We didn't come here not to participate."

"Aye, sir," Flavius said.

Catullus pointed his index finger at the left at three men sitting outside the Palace. The men he pointed at leaned forward slightly.

"Arpineius is accompanied by two of his men, Caesar. He says he has important news," the old man said.

Catullus pointed his index finger at one of the servants in the Palace beside him. The servant pulled open one of the doors that led to outside.

Julianus glanced at his mentor. "Thanks for informing me, Catullus. This is a serious matter. May you leave?"

Catullus nodded. "Yes, Caesar."

Catullus returned back into the palace where he came from.

Arpineius saw Julianus standing in the door and motioned him to where they were sitting. As the Emperor started to move outside, Antistius and Tarquin stood up to greet him.

"Good afternoon, Caesar," Antistius said.

"Yes, Good afternoon, Caesar," Tarquin added.

Julianus frowned slightly at their greetings. "Good afternoon, men."

Arpineius, the Emperor noticed, was not as interested to greet him, and wasn't wearing his armor, just a torn shirt and pants. Bruises stretched across his arm noticeably.

"Please take a seat with us," Arpineius said. "Ignore them."

Antistius glared at Arpineius. The look on his face practically told him to 'watch what you say or else.'

"You didn't have much sleep, did you?" Arpineius pursued, noting the groggy look on the Emperor's face.

"There is a lot of things going on," Julianus said as both Antistius and Tarquin motioned him to sit in an empty seat. He was impressed with the treatment he was getting from the soldiers. It felt to him, for the first time in a while, that he still safe as Emperor. "You guys seem to be in a good mood," he said.

"There is a good reason to be happy," Arpineius said in a disheartened tone. "Thank my men for the dispatching of Pulcher. His corrupt days is now over."

"Finally that bastard is dead," Julianus said. He looked at Tarquin, then at Antistius, and finally Arpineius before saying proudly, "I am deeply grateful for your contribution to the Empire, men. Pulcher was no mere foot soldier to get rid of... He was quite possibly the most difficult person I've ever had to deal with."

"Well, the Praetorian Guard has a good reputation of killing difficult men," Antistius said. "Arpineius expected us to get the job done and we shined in every possible way to measure up to our well-known standards." Antistius glanced at Arpineius. "Wouldn't you say, Arpineius?"

"Yes, Antistius," Arpineius said quickly, avoiding his piercing gaze. "We didn't disappoint."

"I am so thrilled!" Julianus said. "When you go back to the Praetorian Guard camp, expect an increased pay raise to all the men."

"Why Caesar?" Arpineius asked. There was no reason to think Pulcher deserved to get paid more money for the slaughter of most of his men.

Antistius felt sick to his stomach.

"No need to ask questions, you're getting paid!" Antistius said impatiently to Arpineius. He looked at the Emperor. "Thank you Caesar for your kind service."

"Why?" Arpineius repeated to the Emperor.

"It is a matter of common decency on my part," Julianus replied. "But if you do not want a share of the money, I do not have to pay you."

Arpineius, Antistius saw, was embarrassed.

"How did he die?" Julianus asked Arpineius.

"He got shot by an arrow in the throat," Antistius said before Arpineius could speak. "He suffered a great deal-"

"I was talking to Arpineius," Julianus said, giving Antistius a cold look.

Arpineius considered the question for a moment. He could see Antistius and Tarquin nodding their heads at him to say anything. If he told the Emperor a different story, he would be in trouble and quite possibly killed.

"The same thing Antistius said," Arpineius said, bitterly.

"What's wrong with you?" Julianus asked.

Arpineius happened to be glancing at Antistius when the Emperor spoke. Their eyes locked for a moment.

"Well?" the Emperor pressed.

Arpineius gave Julianus a withering look. "Pulcher used to be a good friend of mine," he said finally. "I'm still a little shaken up by his death."

Julianus nodded understanding.

"That can explain why you're wearing those clothes," he said. "I'm sorry if I seemed to push you... For some reason, it seemed like you were being pressured into being here."  
Antistius and Tarquin both laughed, and Arpineius soon followed.

The Emperor joined in after a few moments, not realizing his thought was actually true.

Septimius Severus reclined on his throne inside his tent. He put his legs over the arm of his chair as he gazed on. Time passed unnoticed. Hours passed for minutes and soon a messenger arrived at his tent. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He was about to find out the verdict inside the Senate. The idea of him being Emperor aroused his senses.

"Severus, I bring word from the Senate," the messenger said.

Without moving from his throne, Severus turned to the messenger. "Well... what did they do?"

The plump elderly man stepped forward. His dress was of a commoner just as the rest. A long white beard hid his mouth. Grasping firmly to the document in his hand, he began to speak of what he remembered was written on it, his words wavering.

"The Senate... has passed a motion sentencing Julianus to death... and naming you the Emperor of Rome..."

Severus smiled. His eyes stared down at the man for only a moment before looking over at his bodyguard, Licinius.

"The day has finally come, Licinius. I am now Emperor of Rome."

"Yes, my lord, everything is going as planned," Licinius said simply.

The old man shifted in his standing position and ran a finger over his beard. His face gradually curled up into a weary gaze. He moved his eyes slowly to Licinius then to Septimius Severus. "Before I left, Didius Julianus was still alive. At the present moment, he is probably still alive."

Severus swallowed down vengeful words to the man and simply smiled. "You came here to inform me I am Emperor... yet Didius Julianus is still alive!" Severus' attention refocused on his bodyguard. "What kind of man do these senators take me for?"

His bodyguard shrugged in compliance.

Severus looked back to the old man. "Listen old man... and you listen well. On your way out... notify every soldier we leave to Rome tomorrow. Once you have left Ostia, go to the city and find out if Julianus is dead. Before sundown, I want you here to tell me if Julianus is dead or alive. If you do not return... my men will find you and you will be hunted down."

The old man was visibly shaken by his words. Wearily he turned around and went to the opening of the tent. His faded grey eyes looked back at Severus who also stared back at him. He would now have to make another long trip to the city and come back. At his age, it was asking far too much of him.

"Good. Seems as though the old man cares about his life." Severus then turned to Licinius and shouted out an order that shocked him. "Follow the fossil! Make sure he does what I ask!"

"Even to Rome, sir?" Licinius asked.

Severus' jaw clenched as he heard his bodyguard question his order. He was feeling too much at the moment and didn't know how to explain the order to his bodyguard.

"Follow him wherever he goes!" he yelled, his eyes pleading with Licinius to leave his tent.

At his words, Licinius abruptly ran out of the tent to follow the old man.

Septimius Severus lowered his head. For a minute, he sat there in silence. "I'm Emperor of Rome, yet Julianus is still alive..." His voice simply trailed off.

Severus didn't want to believe the old man when he told him that Julianus was alive. Still unnerved by the news, he shook his head and chuckled. "Julianus is still alive..."

A pair of candles flickered inside Pulcher's chamber at the Praetorian Guard camp, illuminating the far ends of the halls. Tullia closed the door behind him, then for a long moment stood there in the shadowed corner, scanning the interior of the room with an assessing eye.

Four men stood around him, men armed to the teeth with the usual assortment of Roman weaponry- Tullia seemed to be the only one without the abundance of weapons. He carried only a signed document from the Senate, the authorization sent to the camp for the Praetorian Guards to end Julianus' life. History was in the making.

"Come, come, Tullia," Pulcher croaked from the chair he sat in at the head of the room. 

Fleetingly, Tullia's hand tightened on the document. Then, squaring his shoulders, he strode to Pulcher, his men following him closely behind.

"Are you here to kill me?" Pulcher demanded, staring at the armed men Tullia brought with him. "Or is it something else?"

Tullia gave a hoot of laughter. "Do you think we would turn against you, Pulcher? Do you think I?" he asked with a shake of his head, "The reason we have come to see you is that the Senate... just hours ago passed a motion sentencing our Emperor to death."

"And why are you telling me this? Why is the Emperor not dead yet?"

"We didn't want to go and kill him without your company. You, after all, dealt the death blow to Pertinax." There was a gleam in Tullia's eyes that Pulcher didn't like.

"Killing one Emperor is enough for me. It is not pleasant nor is it pleasurable. You mistake me as bloodthirsty... I am not." Pulcher scratched his jaw. "You men may go and carry out the motion. I am still tired and drunk from last night."

"You insult me and my men," Tullia said, his gaze and tone gone cold. "Indeed, you were drunk the other night. But we were guilty of the same crime. We need your leadership and experience."

Pulcher gave a loud snort. "Leave, kill the old man," he said, waving the soldiers away. "You have killed men before right? Julianus is a man, not a god."

With raised eyebrows, Tullia watched his men turn around and head out of the chamber. Tullia then turned back to Pulcher. "Is this how a leader should act?"

"It's too early in the day for me to kill an Emperor. Can we do this later tonight?" Pulcher cocked his head and eyed his friend. "If we do it at night, I can be a great help to you."

"If we did do it at night," Tullia said as calmly as his rising anger could allow, "I'm positive Julianus would have heard of the Senate's motion and would be prepared. Now is the time to attack. You know the element of surprise better than any soldier."

"Oh I do?"

"Yes," Tullia snapped. "You didn't push off the attack on the camp, remember?"

For a long moment, Pulcher did not reply. Instead he studied his friend intently. "You look nervous," he said finally. "About killing the Emperor. Is that the real reason why you are here?"

Tullia went very still. "It's a mixture of nervousness and excitement. I need someone that's done it before with me. A friend of mine..."

Pulcher laughed. "Ask any of the Praetorian guards in this camp. They were involved in butchering Pertinax too. I told you already... This is not the time."

Tullia knew whatever he would say to convince Pulcher to come with him didn't matter. In the end, he would have to lead the four soldiers to kill Julianus.

"Why are you still waiting here!" Pulcher cried, impatience glittering in his eyes. "Kill him and return to me. Just remember, he is no greater man than the soldiers we have killed in our day. He's just a man," he crowed. "Just a man."

Didius Julianus had thought for a long while that Pulcher could never be killed, but he finally had. He had thought he'd remain Emperor through the Senate as he had. But gazing now at Pius' upturned, pitiful face, Julianus knew something was wrong. If the Senate should ever betray him, he would be furious.

"Caesar, the Senate had a vote today." Pius chose that moment to interrupt his thoughts. "They passed a motion of death upon you, and named Severus, Emperor."

Julianus stared mutely for a moment, then averted his eyes.

"Forgive me," Pius said, "But I have come here to tell you the truth. To answer the question you asked me earlier today... I think you are being killed because of the fact you were elected to Emperor by the Praetorian Guard, not the Senate."

Julianus sat quietly, stunned as much by what he was saying as by the loss of positivity his thoughts once had. There were, he realized, several reasons to the decision the Senate made that day. Now he wanted to ask of his family. He didn't want Pius' words of seeing his family in the Elysian fields to come true. "Is there any way to see my family?"

"They were escorted out of the Palace for their own safety." Nervousness came into his voice. "If you were to see them upon a warrant of your death, they would be killed as well. Your visit is not worth two more deaths." He paused for a moment. "Caesar... If you want to hide somewhere, feel free to do so. I will not help the men ordered to carry out the act in finding you."

As the grim news of the Senate's decision slammed home, Julianus' mouth tightened with anger. He had thought the Senate would not do such a thing. But they had- his appointment to Emperor through the Praetorian Guard had came back to haunt him. The Senate wanted to show their power over the Praetorian Guard, he realized.

Shame filled his heart, then was followed by an even more powerful surge of fear. The fear of the death that would be coming to him. The feeling he might die alone.

Julianus pointed at the one of the portraits on his wall. "That's my daughter, Didia Clara," Julianus began at last, turning to gaze at Pius. "She will grow up, without a father..."

The realization that the Emperor was going to be killed unsettled Pius. "You must have been close... you and Clara," Pius said.

"Yes, we were very close."

With no further explanation, Pius darted out of the room.

Julianus continued to stare at the portrait, almost as if he didn't notice Pius' departure. Gradually, an uneasy comprehension grew within him. The men coming to kill him, he realized, wouldn't be long.

It seemed an hour before Tullia and his men reached the Imperial Palace. The doors of the Palace and the windows stood open, deserted. The buildings surrounding the Palace seemed untouched, the back of it closed.

As Tullia and his men moved around to the front, a man riding a horse came into view.

"Stop! Stop at once!" Tullia called out.

Even before the man could stop his horse, one of Tullia's men came running at him and knocked him with a powerful blow from the horse. Without checking to see who it is, the man lifted his sword high in the air, and brought it down on the man, stabbing the sword right through his temple.

The man lay motionless on the marble stone, and by the time Tullia came to see him, a dark pool of blood surrounded his head.

"What was the meaning of this?" Tullia demanded.

"It could've been the Emperor."

Tullia looked down at the corpse of the man who had been trying to leave. It looked nothing like the Emperor.

"Do not kill any one else unless you know for sure it's the Emperor," Tullia told the soldier.

The soldier's face clouded instantly. He looked down at the dead man he had killed.

"You will not tell anyone what I did, right?" he asked, slightly nervous of the repercussions of his action.

Tullia said nothing as he rushed ahead towards the Palace. He turned to the three men staring down at the dead civilian. "Come! We don't have much time!"

The palace was completely empty aside from a black slave that stood at one corner when Tullia's men entered the palace.

Not trusting his vigilant men, Tullia presented himself first to the slave. "Where is the Emperor!"

The black man's forehead wrinkled in nervous amazement at the men before him. "Over, over there," he stuttered, his wide eyes directing the men to his right.

Tullia stiffened at the man's forward gaze, but was quick enough to assign his words as impulse rather than the truth. "You don't know?" Tullia asked in astonishment. "You don't?"

"I said, he was over there, I-"

"Damn slave!" one of the other soldiers cried. He took a fast step forward, thrusting his blade into the slave's chest.

Tullia rushed towards the soldier, catching his wrist with his left hand and lifting his arm away from the blade. Struggling to push him against the wall, the soldier finally gave up.

Tullia glanced back at the victim. The look in the slave's eyes was something beyond pain, something in the realm of shock and horror. He turned back to the man who struck the blow. "What did I tell you!" Tullia demanded. "Does he look like the Emperor!"

"I-I'm sorry, Tullia, it-" the man tried to reply.

"I thought you a better man!" Tullia fumed.

The soldiers all looked at each other, and the one who had killed the slave, upon an intense stare from Tullia, walked over to the sword he stabbed the slave with. Slowly, he tugged the sword out from the man's flesh.

Tullia stared at the slave as he slumped against the wall. He saw that the slave was still breathing, but with no chance of living, he knew he had to press on.

"Let's go men!" Tullia said, his tone changing dramatically.

His words nearly floored his men, and they staggered back at the sight of the groaning slave, then turned on their heels and rushed to follow Tullia, every step.

The soldiers watched as Tullia moved along the line of sculptures of previous Emperors, looking left and right, and trying to see if he could find the Emperor. The soldiers' eyes widened as they realized Tullia had found where Julianus was.

"He's here!" Tullia cried.

They ran as fast as they could, holding onto their swords and ready to carry out the Senate's sentence.

Tullia was glad that he had noticed a light flickering from a candle in one of the rooms. The longer they searched for the Emperor, he knew the more lives that would be taken in the process by his careless men.

Tullia broke into the room then, and noticed Julianus sitting at his chair as he turned back to his men.

"Remember he's just a man," Tullia reminded the men.

He turned back to see Julianus and studied the damaged Emperor.

After a couple seconds, Tullia started to approach and Julianus fought hard to remain calm. He wished that he had someone with him to die with, that he would not die alone. A better scenario would be if he could flee the palace, but he knew he was trapped. All he had to calm him was a portrait of his daughter.

Tullia stopped suddenly when he saw what Julianus was staring at. His eyes were fixated on a portrait of his daughter. Tullia crinkled his nose in disgust and gave his men the wave to take out Julianus themselves, then went out of the room.

Julianus turned to see the three soldiers staring at him hungrily like wolves. He stared at them blankly, too shocked with tears to comprehend who they were. "But what evil have I done? Whom have I killed?"

One of the soldiers pushed Julianus to the ground just as a sword went through his stomach. Blood gushed out of his mouth and wound. He fell to the floor right away, his body causing a loud echo through the walls.

A soldier standing back stared at Julianus' lifeless body. "Make sure he's dead."

Another soldier brought up his sword, and pointed the edge of the blade straight to his jugular. Right as the soldier was about to stab him in the throat, Julianus surprised him by saying, "Animals." It didn't stop the soldier however, and he gorged the sword through his neck, killing him instantly.


	23. The Boys Are Back in Town

After a difficult effort from Septimius Severus' legion, the supplies and tents were packed. The soldiers made their way to mount their horses as Xander himself walked his horse out into the open field and mounted as well. Within a short span, where once sat an overrun city of soldiers, now stood an impressive, organized group of soldiers ready to march to Rome. Laughter and the sounds of horse whining drifted through the area as the men tried to enjoy their last moments in Ostia. Their happiness was induced by anticipation to see their families and homes in Rome, where many of the soldiers lived.

As all of this was being done Xander sat on his horse, sniffing in the morning air. His horse stood in the direction towards Rome, where he would see Buffy again. He traced his fingers along the horse's mane, making sure his horse was comfortable and ready for the journey.

A few minutes later, Cimberius rode his horse next to Xander's, then watched ahead of him to where Xander was gazing.

"Well, Xander," Cimberius commented, leaning his horse beside his friend's. "Finally, we can go see Buffy. You were right... we would be back. We had our fair share of scars, as expected, but we made it through. You made it through. I'm proud of you, my brother."

"I know, I'm still in shock," Xander nodded as his eyes remained locked on the road ahead of him. "And you're the one who convinced me we'd come back. I never thought we would," he admitted.

Turning his horse around before Xander's Cimberius said, "Don't go until the whole legion's past. Stay back, well behind them; I don't want you running up beside Septimius Severus."

"Why do I have to stay behind?"

Cimberius grinned mischievously. "Do you think we can sneak out to see Buffy in the front of the lines? If we are in the back, nobody will know of our disappearance." His horse spun on its hocks, its head tossing, pushing at the bit. "I know I may be too cautious here, but when we march out of view of Severus, we will be gone and forgotten. If we had left during our stay here, our defection would have been obvious. But with the men happy and enveloped with pride, we can go without being cared for. Then we can see Buffy, and avoid any legion interference." He let his horse carry him away, confident that his friend would follow.

Xander, motionless in his saddle, nodded his head in agreement. His friend was right. Being seen deserting the legion by the newly crowned Emperor wasn't the best scenario, he knew. After clearing his mind, Xander guided his horse after Cimberius to the assembly of soldiers.

Cimberius welcomed Xander as soon as he arrived to the gathering of soldiers. They sat comfortably on their horses outside Severus' guarded tent, along with several of the other soldiers of the legion.

Some of the villagers came up a few minutes later with gifts for their stay. Wreaths were handed out and so were herbed olives and other riches from the city. Even after Severus' legion had occupied and pillaged the many villages throughout Ostia, no evidence of bitterness from the villagers were present. Nor had it ever been visible to Xander or Cimberius during their stay there.

Severus came out of his tent wearing a purple toga, embroidered with golden threads signifying his succession as Emperor. He had a cup of wine in his hands and stood in front of the men while he sipped it. When he drank about half of what lay in his cup, he stopped himself, and handed it to one of his servants.

"I'm sure all of you are aware of Julianus' death..." Severus began. "I made it prudent that every soldier knew from the old messenger. And I will make sure you all know now... I am the sole ruler of all the Roman Empire, the civilization that rules the world. I offer my thanks to you for joining my legion and allowing this historic event to take place. When you reach Rome, all of you will ride side by side with me. There is no one that should lead. You are the reason why I became Emperor. The soldiers, not the Emperor, won me this position. For that, I am deeply honored to be in your presence."

Wild cheering engulfed the soldiers. Everyone wanted to congratulate Severus but Cnaeus Clodius was the first. "You have done a great service to the Empire, Caesar. The gods will be kind to you."

Severus made his way to his horse at the far end of the village where his servants waited for him. He glanced at his general as he approached his horse. "We have all done a service to the Empire. No one greater than the others. The gods will be kind to all of us." He sat himself on his horse with help from his servants, achieving a mythical appearance from a distance. Severus moved his horse forward and asked his men loudly, "You men ready to march on Rome!"

With a fierce scream, most of the soldiers cried in agreement to Severus' question.

Sitting on his horse, Severus proudly smiled with the way his men were excited about their return to Rome.

The cheering went on for another couple of minutes before Severus led his horse towards the road that led to Rome, allowing the other soldiers to follow along with him.

Soon the majority of soldiers were heading out of Ostia, following the Emperor. Cnaeus Clodius, one of the generals in the legion, took the lead now, instructed by Severus about the way to go. More to the back, Xander and Cimberius sat on their horses as Duratius walked his horse right past them, staring into Xander's eyes.

Duratius greeted Xander with a strong punch to his arm as his horse continued forward. "Long time since we last talked, my friend."

"Indeed." Xander replied, turning to smile at Cimberius. He could tell his friend found it a little harder to believe what had just occurred. 

"What did you do to him?" Cimberius whispered, still staring at the place where a moment before Duratius had been sitting on his horse.

"I told you already, Cimberius. I gave him that apology note from Silanus, remember? I tell you, there's nothing I'm better at than taking good care of myself!" Xander added with a forced grin, hiding from his friend just how much he was uncertain of how Duratius would react. "We should start getting a move on." Xander was going to leave, but he looked at Cimberius, who was still staring in disbelief. "You didn't think the note would work did you?"

Cimberius started to move his horse next to Xander's, noticing that all of the soldiers had past them. "Well, considering all the things Duratius did to you back at the camp, I didn't think anything would make him open up to you. In fact, I don't remember him ever opening up to anybody."

Xander laughed, looking away from Cimberius' piercing blue eyes, confidence taking over him. "I think he finally respects my courage..."

"Courage?" Cimberius gave Xander a questioning look that Xander didn't see because he kept his gaze lost on the road ahead. "It's more recklessness than anything else."

"Whatever you may call it, something earned his respect. Just the other night I was fearing for my safety and life, thinking he might try to kill me. How things change in one day, huh Cimberius?"

"Do you think we should tell him about what we're doing? If he 'respects' you so much, I would worry that he would notice our disappearance."

"I will tell him." Xander replied, looking at Cimberius and then back at the road. "I actually think it best that he knows. He can protect our whereabouts and be a useful ally." Xander glanced at his friend, wide-eyed. "I think people will trust whatever he says. Because if you don't, you're in trouble."

"Reckless and cunning. I like the plan," Cimberius said, a hint of pride recognizable in his voice. "I trust you, my brother."

"You seem to be looking happier than you did minutes ago. How did that happen?"

Pulcher heard knocking, but it didn't register in his mind, as if it was coming from far away.

Even the loud crash of the door that followed merely made him blink once and roll over.

But when he heard Antistius cry out, "Pulcher!" his eyes popped open and he rolled quickly out of bed to his feet.

He took in the scene immediately; there was Antistius and Tarquin, his loyal men, standing at the door with Arpineius. Tarquin held Arpineius by the shoulders, his great strength keeping the captive soldier still.

"When your men knock, we expect you to open the door for us," Antistius said.

"I-I was asleep," Pulcher stammered, slightly taken back by Antistius' urgency. "Antistius, is there a problem?"

"No problem," Antistius answered half-heartedly. "We just didn't know about your plans to kill the Emperor."

Pulcher, dressed only in his flimsy robe, rushed to confront Antistius. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "Why do you assume I had a part in it?"

"Assume? I know..." Antistius said, holding a hand up to silence Tarquin.

"But, Antistius, why would Pulcher-" Tarquin protested.

"He's killed an emperor before," Antistius interrupted. "Pertinax. Now Julianus."

"But why would he endanger our lives? He knows that Severus hates the Praetorian Guard. He has never put himself above any of his men's lives. Please, Antistius, I beg of you to throw away your accusation."

"You fool," Antistius told Tarquin. "Stop supporting him before I throw you away. There's no conspiracy or murder without Pulcher's name attached to it and you know that."

"Why would he kill him? Julianus supported the Praetorian Guard and our lives-"

"I pray you didn't forget about his order to Arpineius here... to kill Pulcher and his men," Antistius said. He wrapped one arm around Arpineius' chest and leaned back, taking the soldier easily away from Tarquin, then reached his other arm around and down to his crotch and gave it a hard squeeze, eliciting a painful groan from Arpineius. "There's every reason for Pulcher to kill the Emperor. His own selfish ambition..." He let go of his grip and stared coldly at Pulcher.

"Why you disloyal son of a bitch-" Pulcher's eyes widened with anger and he charged forward, but before he could get a single step, Antistius had his sword out, its tip against Pulcher's chest.

"I won't forgive you for what you've done," Antistius said, "our lives are in danger now that Severus is in power. How dare you sacrifice all our lives for your own personal satisfaction!"

"Ah, I see that you have already blamed Pulcher for Julianus' murder," came a voice behind Antistius, from the open doorway, and Antistius turned around to see Tullia standing there.

"Tullia?" Pulcher asked, then he wheeled himself away from Antistius' sword and straightened his shoulders. "... My friend! Tell these men that I had nothing to do with Julianus' murder!"

"He had something to do with it, I swear. I can see it in his eyes," Antistius assured Tullia, and there was something in Antistius' voice, some bit of uncertainty, that made Pulcher raise his eyebrows at Tullia, waiting for him to proclaim his innocence.

"Pulcher made sure we were not with him when he killed the Emperor," Antistius went on. "It doesn't make any sense to have us meet with the Emperor just hours before he was killed."

"What are you planning on doing to Pulcher?" Tullia asked haughtily, becoming impatient with all the assumptions being thrown his way. "The Senate are the ones to blame. He's innocent."

Antistius paled. The news hit him like a horse. "H-he's innocent?" 

"You poor, blind halfwit," Tullia said, shaking his head. "You don't know Pulcher like I do. I think that you should get your evidence straight before you go around blaming others for crimes they didn't commit."

Antistius stared at Tullia, at odds with himself over whether he should believe him. He was no fool. He could see the elaborate, clever plan Pulcher could have had, and though he was no expert on Pulcher's psyche, Antistius had the sudden feeling that Pulcher hungered revenge for being blamed. "I don't think what I've done was right," Antistius said slowly, "things were getting hectic, with the Emperor slain... I rushed to the wrong conclusion... I'm sorry."

Tullia nodded, but his expression said that he didn't quite believe him. "Okay, let's say Pulcher did it. He killed Julianus. Wouldn't you rather know the reasoning for his action before killing him?"

Pulcher's lips thinned and his eyes narrowed. Such disloyalty from Antistius was not only insulting and humiliating to him, but to his friend, Tullia as well. Though it wasn't a surprise that Antistius, known for his insight, to blame him for Julianus' murder, most of his men were men who thought before doing things and only acted on impulse on the battlefield.

It took Antistius a moment to respond to Tullia, who was waiting patiently and gazing at him with frustration. Antistius reminded himself that he had never given Pulcher a reason to doubt his loyalty. Though he had acted indiscreetly and foolishly, he felt he kept his loyalty, so far. "I know. I was blinded by my emotions," Antistius said evenly, "but I doubt you would not have concerns like I did were you in my position."

"I realize that. I just think that you should know for certain if he was involved. I actually asked Pulcher to go with me to kill the Emperor and he declined." Tullia's words were said quietly, and almost sadly. Antistius lowered his gaze and swallowed hard.

For the first time, Pulcher felt pity for one of his favorite soldiers. Perhaps his actions were stupid, but Antistius was clearly hurting from the loss of Julianus. His reasons might have been purely for revenge and he seemed sincere enough in his desire to regret what he had done.

"Antistius, my friend," Pulcher said softly. "All is forgiven. Next time, however..." He paused and pointed at his own head so Antistius could see. "Use this..." Then he tapped Antistius' sword. "Not this."

Antistius smiled bitterly. "Yes, Pulcher."

The Emperor leaned heavily on the pommel of his saddle, his index finger pointing to the north under his gloves. "There is the gates to Rome... where Romulus and Remus founded this great city. According to Livy, legend has it that Romulus was the first king of Rome. How amazing is it that I will be remembered along with those two..." He trailed off, not looking toward the gates to Rome, but down the road, where the ashes of a house caught his eyes. It appeared to have been burned down.

"You will be remembered better since that is mere legend, Caesar." Cnaeus turned, half-standing in his stirrups, to look up at the buildings and scenery beyond the gates. He saw no sign of chaos and anarchy many predicted upon the death of Julianus. The city looked peaceful and common as usual. "Do you want to wait for the others to catch up?" He avoided looking off down the road at the house.

"The city need not wait any longer, Cnaeus. It's time the Romans see their new leader," Severus said.

Cnaeus was still staring at the city. "Hopefully they will be much more hospitable to you than they were to Pertinax and Julianus."

"I was hoping you would bring that up. Cnaeus, it is the Praetorian Guard, the Senate, and any other political structure that is not hospitable. The people themselves... are the good ones." The Emperor's voice strained, trying to stretch the time out, to allow others to catch up as Cnaeus wanted.

Then, from his side, someone shouted. "The Emperor! He comes!"

Severus turned to his left to see a dozen people cheering and clapping. "See... what did I tell you, Cnaeus? Does the Praetorian Guard, the Senate give us a welcome like that?"

Far behind the hundreds of men, Xander in his brown leather armor was driving his exhausted horse on toward the city; Cimberius followed him, sitting tall on a big horse. Something caught Xander's eye. He recognized the slouched shoulders, the way he held his head, and a cry escaped him.

"Duratius!"

"Xander," Duratius said. He was smiling, in the tangled unshaven mat of his newly formed beard. "Can't wait to enter Rome, can you?"

"Yes. I have a woman waiting back for me, actually. It makes Rome more appealing to me."

"I wish I had a woman waiting back for me," Duratius said. "But that bitch is sleeping with Silanus. I've thought about turning back and beating the shit out of that man." He clutched his fists, swinging them in the air as they went along on their horses.

Xander's mouth went dry. There were people everywhere there; the burden of a private conversation shackled him. "I'm sure what I'm going to ask of you is strange and you probably don't want to risk your neck out for me..."

"I'll take the chance," Duratius said. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well... I want to see this woman. I don't want to be tied up with this legion."

"What are you saying? Are you going to defect?" Duratius asked curiously, but not loudly.

Xander watched ahead of them as more crowds began to surround them. The soldiers directed their attention to the citizens around the forest. This was his best chance to get out what he needed to say. Yet he found it hard to ask Duratius of the request.

"What do you want me to do, Xander?" Duratius went on, his voice carrying.

Xander took a deep breath, realizing he had no choice but to tell Duratius. "I want you to cover me and Cimberius' backs for a while." He saw Duratius frown. "Only for a few days, I promise. If somebody wonders where we are, I want you to find up a reason so they don't get suspicious."

Duratius bridled up at his request, and his face tightened over his bones, his jaw jutting.

Xander sat back, letting Duratius make his decision.

Then, up ahead of them, the crowd began to leave and wave goodbyes, and he knew that once it became quiet, he wouldn't have much time to discuss the issue with Duratius.

Xander raised his voice, his heart suddenly eager. "Well, what is it, Duratius?"

Duratius straightened up, meeting Xander's eyes again. "For you, Xander... I will do it," he said.

The response so pleased Xander that for moment he could make no reply. Finally he said, "I appreciate your kindness, Duratius. I shall try to make sure I won't last too long with my woman."

Duratius seemed suddenly taller. His head bobbed. "I cannot lie to keep you and your friend out of trouble for too long. Once the men start to get tired of my excuses, I will have to tell them for the sake of my life."

"I understand. All I'm asking is for a few days."

Cimberius pushed in between them, his voice sharp with raw anger. "Xander, come over with me for a second," he whispered through gritted teeth.

Xander nodded and turned his horse around, and with Cimberius at his side, walked his horse across the road to a private area.

Once they were out of earshot from the other men, Cimberius said in an angry tone, "A few days! I want you and I to stay out of the army for good. What kind of bargain is that?"

Xander sat back on his horse, exhaling a weary sigh. He was beginning to think of Buffy, and kissing her and sleeping with her again.

"A few days," Cimberius continued, "is not going to be long enough. Can't you ask for more days?"

Xander turned his head away. Clearly Cimberius didn't care much for Duratius.

"Are you listening to me at all?" Cimberius scowled.

"Duratius told me his life would be in jeopardy if he prolonged it longer than a few days," Xander said, turning back to face his friend. "I believe him. We'll have to come back... only because I know how it feels to be the hunted. It's not a good feeling."

"I understand you don't want to be hunted, I do," Cimberius said. He thought for a moment. "But a few days and you're gone again? Don't you want to stay with Buffy?"

"Yes," Xander said roughly. "Come on Cimberius, what has gotten into you? Why don't you want to stay in the army?"

Cimberius' eyes widened with alarm. "I told you earlier that I don't want any legion interference. We can be gone forever... only if you persisted."

"We got a couple days. For now that's all we can get," Xander said quickly, suppressing his annoyance. "I'm not going to be pushy with Duratius. The guy has a short fuse..."

"So do I," Cimberius said, sounding sharp.

Xander rolled his eyes. Down near the road, Xander drew his attention to a stretch of shadowy buildings, one of them burned down. 'That had to be the same house Cato lived in,' Xander thought. As Xander wondered if it was Cato's house, a woman appeared, briefly silhouetted through the sun and shadows. The figure crossed the grass toward Xander, and Xander recognized Acacia's lonely, rather mysterious presence as she turned to look for a moment at the remains of Cato's house. An unexpected feeling of compassion touched Xander.

"Uh... Cimberius..." Xander said, pointing at the direction of the house. "Do you see what I'm seeing?"

Cimberius tilted his chin in the direction where Xander was pointing, and there was no warmth in his reply, "What are you trying to do? Make me forget what I was talking about? There's no one there..." Cimberius paused, thinking aloud. "Wait a minute, that area... it looks familiar. Where do I remember that place from?"

"It's the house you burned down with the Praetorian Guard. That's where you stabbed Acacia," Xander reminded him.

Cimberius looked at his friend, concerned. "Oh... is that what you said you saw? The house?"

Xander made an effort to wipe away the tears circulating in his eyes, and he went on, his voice well under control. "I saw Acacia. She was walking outside the house."

"But how is that possible?" Cimberius asked miserably.

"Because maybe I saw a ghost, alright?" Xander snapped.

Cimberius looked back at the remains, puzzled. He finally decided that silence wouldn't be accepted, and muttered a reply. "I don't know what to tell you, my friend. I'm sorry about what happened..."

Inwardly, Xander smiled. It was the first time his friend had apologized for mortally wounding Acacia. Cimberius had clearly changed for the better since going to Gerasa. 'Following orders' was no longer a part of his vocabulary. He was his own person.

"You're forgiven. I'm glad to see you have some remorse."

"I was just showing you that I'm not that Praetorian Guard animal I used to be. Even though I still have the temper."

Xander laughed. "You wanna apologize for being mean as well?"

Cimberius reluctantly nodded. "Sure, why not?"

Xander surveyed the remains of Cato's house one more time. When he believed nothing was out of the ordinary, he led Cimberius away from the area and back to the group of soldiers.

They got back onto the road, nearing the entrance, following the other soldiers as they made their approach. Xander spotted a bigger crowd than the one he saw in the forest through a crack in the gate. 

Xander couldn't maintain his anxiousness any longer, so he carefully phrased the question, "Once we arrive in the city, wouldn't be a bad time to leave, wouldn't you say?"

Cimberius' eyebrow climbed involuntarily. As they got closer to the gates, he couldn't help but agreeing to the thought, since the crowd would be a good mask for them to leave the legion. "You know the direction to Paulus' right?"

"I can walk there in my sleep," Xander said smiling.

Pulcher felt much better. It was good to have other people around him, to feel their comforting presence. He was sitting in a small group with Tullia, Tarquin, Arpineius, and a man dressed in rags, who was barely recognizable as Considius. He was, he said, willing to work for Pulcher, and had been on his way to staying in isolation indefinitely had it not been for Arpineius' convincing.

"Now," Pulcher said. "I find myself involved in this dilemma a great deal more than I would have thought. There has been rumors that Severus wants to avenge Pertinax's death with our heads. The first head he would go after would be mine, so I have great reason to worry."

The five were sitting in the center section, inside Pulcher's chamber. Antistius stood nearby, keeping an uneasy watch on them. Antistius had only spoken once, to ask Pulcher if he could join them in their discussion. Pulcher had declined. He simply fixed Antistius with a gaze of intensity over the table they sat beside.

Antistius had not asked again.

"Does anyone have the slightest notion of why the Senate would kill one of their own?" Pulcher almost pleaded, hoping to arise debate. "I was starting to feel safe and comfortable under Julianus' leadership and now this happens. It reminds me of a scared government, letting one man take over the Empire."

"The same thing occurred when Caesar took office," Tarquin noted.

"Don't you ever compare Severus to Caesar. Never," Pulcher snarled.

"I have no idea what we should do. I don't know if we should congratulate Severus or hide from persecution," Tullia muttered.

"The Senate has now shown they are the supreme power," Pulcher went on. "A simple request from them to Severus' legion to get rid of the conspirators in the Guard would be accepted with open arms. That means congratulating Severus would not be an option. The good news is this however; we are all loyal to each other. They have no evidence to know who was involved in the murder of Pertinax if we do not tell the truth. There isn't a thing they can do aside from intimidation. I want you to remember that because if they threaten your life, it doesn't mean they will act upon it."

"The last thing I would want is disloyalty to you, Pulcher," Tullia said.

Considius sat up with a jerk. "Disloyalty? Who's being disloyal?"

"My Considius, it wouldn't matter a damn to me whether you are loyal or whether your not. They wouldn't believe a man like you if you told them the truth anyway..."

Everyone except Arpineius and Considius laughed amongst the group.

Arpineius bristled, not yet seeing where the turn in the conversation was taking them. "We should not be your concern, Pulcher."

"I wish to make it a concern. You turned against me once, and you can do it again," Pulcher said.

"I agree with Arpineius, Pulcher," Tullia said. "These are not important issues. We should not worry about Arpineius and Considius at a time like this. The only thing we need to worry about is our own lives."

Pulcher hesitated but nodded.

"In the name of the gods, there is no way for us to divide anymore!" Arpineius sat forward, his face defiant. "Severus will eventually send his men after us. The only way we can save our lives is to stand together, and that's what Considius and I plan on doing with you."

Pulcher stared vacantly. Horses could be heard restlessly stamping outside; swords clashed against each other, causing echos through the inner walls. He was tempted to run outside to join the festivities, eager to leave the entrapped feeling he suddenly felt within his own chamber.

But he took a deep breath and faced Arpineius. "I don't distrust you, Arpineius, especially on your word. If it is within your power to stay to with us, so be it. But you have underestimated me before. So I suggest to you that you do not make the same mistake again."

Pulcher stood then and walked out of the chamber, out of the building, leaving behind five silenced soldiers.

The sky remained cloudless and the roads dry which caused Xander and Cimberius to make good time as they trotted to the far west of the city of Rome.

Xander could only wonder what Buffy was thinking. She had to see him, as Xander wanted to see her, and he knew once they would meet, he would never feel empty again. His assumption, after everything that had transpired before he left, was that Buffy would not be as overjoyed as he would be at seeing her.

Xander's break from Buffy had to have left emotional scars on her. What right did he have to question Buffy's love for him? And did she truly believe he would be gone for a couple months as Cimberius told him afterwards? If she did, Buffy's behavior the last time he saw her made sense. Cimberius had told her that they would be gone for months, and Buffy reacted like anyone would be if they were told such news. She must have been horrified to think he would be going away for months and possibly going into battle as well. There was, also, letters that Buffy had probably sent to Gerasa that were not responded to. He had carelessly told Cimberius to burn any letters that reached them. Buffy must have taken it without so much as a form of rejection. Xander's eyes were finally open to what lengths Buffy had gone for him. It was his turn now to return the favor.

Several minutes later, the sight of a white house was a happy one for both Xander and his friend after a long journey through the city.

Xander glanced longingly at the house. How glad he felt to finally be there, at Paulus' house. He smiled to himself at the realization. 'No place like home,' Xander thought. He rode his horse to the porch steps.

Once he reached the foot of the stone steps, Xander came to an abrupt halt and leaped off his horse. He was so excited that he did not even wait for Cimberius to follow and headed up the steps.

A few feet behind him, Cimberius slowly got off his horse. His massive body, like a bodybuilder, swooped down and landed on the ground.

Xander turned back to Cimberius with a brief word advising him on what to do with the horses, then climbed up the stairs towards the top of the porch while Cimberius went to tie the horses to small trees. Xander had no thought to knock on the door without Cimberius but he certainly didn't want to waste any more time. When Cimberius rejoined him on the stairs seconds later, Xander threw him an irritated glance.

"Come on," Xander said impatiently, leading the way across the last bit of stone steps to the unswept porch which led to the door. Cimberius trailed meekly behind, following his friend.

Xander did not stop until he was inches away from the front door. He leaned uncomfortably against a wood paneling while Cimberius stood up straight and smiled eagerly.

"You know what's funny?" Cimberius told Xander. "I actually want to see my old grandfather."

Xander looked down nervously and played with his hands.

Cimberius gave Xander a concerned glance. "You don't want to see Buffy?"

"I don't know," Xander said. "I do, but I sort of don't. I just don't want to see that look in her eyes. The look she gave me before I left."

Cimberius studied Xander. "I think we better see for ourselves," he said. "I bet she will be happy to see you."

Xander stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do. Then he glanced at Cimberius, his eyes asking him who should knock first.

Cimberius shrugged, and before he could speak, Xander pounded his fist on the door.

Xander could feel a roll of emotions within him, wondering if he could be ready to hide some of it upon seeing Buffy.

Peaceful silence soon descended upon them. They could hear a girl's voice cry from somewhere in the house. A man's voice, that sounded like Paulus', responded to the girl. The breeze had stopped, and the clouds appeared blacker as Xander and Cimberius paced before the door.

Xander noticed it all, every sound, every thought. His senses had suddenly come alive, enlightening him, and he felt his mind drifting into thoughts of touching, kissing, and making love to Buffy. The tension he had felt for so long was gone now, every ounce of it, replaced by something else, something more surreal. 

Suddenly, the door to the house creaked open, and Buffy stood there, wearing a silk robe and not much else.

Xander gaze traveled up her well-shaped legs to the cleavage clearly visible across her chest, and swallowed.

She turned and came face-to-face with Xander.

The deep blue of her eyes seemed to penetrate right through him.

He couldn't speak.

"Buffy..." he finally said.

Buffy said nothing. Instead, she lunged immediately to hug him. Brushing her mouth against his ear, she murmured, "I missed you, Xander."

Xander felt himself blushing. He took in the hug, savoring the sound of her voice more than her kind words. "Buffy... it's so good to see you again."

"You want to come in?" She asked, pulling away from the embrace. Her voice was steady, revealing nothing of the excitement inside her.

He stammered out a reply as she let him walk past her. He stopped just before the stairs.

"Who is it?" Paulus shouted from the kitchen, and Xander turned to the sound of his voice.

"It's Xander and Cimberius," Buffy answered brightly.

"I told you she'd be happy" Cimberius whispered to Xander after Buffy opened the door and let him in. Trying not to let Buffy's obvious shun of his arrival depress him, he looped his arm over Xander's shoulder. "I should leave you two alone!"

Xander laughed. "Whatever you want."

Cimberius smiled at Xander, then at his grandfather, who came out of the kitchen beside the stairs. With his white hair and his frail body garbed in a toga with plumes everywhere, Paulus looked like a well-to-do senator. 

"My god, Cimberius! You made it through my boy!" There was feverishness in Paulus' voice. His smile went very wide across his face.

"Come here and give me a hug, grandfather." Cimberius' rugged tone brooked no disobedience. Moving like a dancer, Paulus took the steps needed to bring him within arm's reach of his grandson. "You're dressed quite nicely."

Paulus hugged Cimberius tightly.

"No injuries on you, my boy?" His voice was sharp. Cimberius shook his head, turning back to look at Xander. He raised his eyebrows at his friend, signaling for him to leave with Buffy. He knew the two would not reconcile unless they were alone. Cimberius felt the same way about his reunion with his grandfather.

"That damned soldier Pulcher came by here to search for Buffy and your friend. You fool! Making friends with such a man!"

Cimberius frowned. "Who... Xander?"

"No, you idiot! Pulcher! He is a bloodthirsty man. He came into my house uninvited. You are lucky you left the time you did. Hiding two people from Pulcher is certainly more dangerous than hiding one!"

"Pulcher!" Cimberius stood back abruptly, his eyes catching fire. "He's still searching for Buffy and Xander?"

Paulus stared at him. "Yes. To my knowledge he is now the Praetorian Guard leader."

"Goddamn it! Why can't he leave us alone!" Cimberius reiterated, looking militant.

"Perhaps you would care for a drink to calm yourself down?" Paulus was keeping a careful hold on his own temper; Cimberius' angry reaction wasn't something he expected; it was beyond what he had taught his grandson. Usually, when something that tested his grandson's temper occurred, Cimberius obeyed Paulus' wishes to settle down first, before getting angry.

"I won't let that man terrorize Rome!" The light of battle gleamed in his eyes. He felt sick to his stomach. It was now clear that Pulcher was truly stubborn and his selfishness could have cost both Buffy and Paulus' lives. The pain within him was unbearable. Somehow, he managed to calm himself. "What do you have to drink, Paulus?" he asked, hoping a drink would ease his pain.

"Anything you want," Paulus said. 

Cimberius jumped up from his standing position and was around his grandfather to the kitchen before Paulus could move.

"Xander," she murmured softly. "I feel cold." He put his arm around her, his movements up the stairs almost reluctant, and drew her closer, so that she could relax her head on his broad shoulder.

She still wore the silk robe, with nothing underneath, and Buffy could feel the strength and heat of Xander's powerful body. His arm was heavy around her shoulders; she could hear the steady thudding of his heart. His physical appearance was different from the last time she saw him, she knew, and rejoiced in that knowledge. 

"Xander?"

"Hmmm?" Xander murmured. 

"Do you remember the first time I ever saw you? When you helped me pick up my belongings in the hallway, when I was just a teenager?"

A smile twisted the corners of his mouth. Buffy, peeping up at him, saw that smile, small as it was, and sighed happily.

"You still act like that teenager, and yes, I do remember. Why?"

Buffy gave Xander a pouting look he expected and loved at the teenager comment, but went on with what she planned on saying, "I always wanted to tell you how sorry I was for not finding out more about you."

Xander's smile became broader. "Not as sorry as I was, believe me," he said, grinning, instinctively hugging her closer.

"Luckily you were friends with Willow," Buffy added.

Xander nodded. "Yeah... being friends with a girl has its benefits."

"Damn, Xander. You scare me." Buffy's head tilted back on his shoulder so she could see his face. "You really bulked up. What did you do all those days?"

"Played around with wooden swords for the most part," Xander said, looking at her. His uniquely shaped mouth with its curling smile enticed Buffy deliriously. She wanted him to kiss her. "What did you do all those days I was gone?"

"I met a really nice looking Roman man. We slept together and he comforted me most of the time you were gone." Xander's arm stiffened beneath her head and for a moment, Buffy thought he had stopped breathing. "I'm kidding, Xander."

"You certainly have a good knack at grabbing my attention!"

He was trying to pass the moment off lightly, Buffy could tell. But she wasn't going to let him.

"I had to say that to see if you were jealous."

"You certainly made me jealous." He meant the words to be teasing, Buffy knew, but the sound of his voice had a truthfulness to it.

"Did you find any women down at the camp?" Buffy rubbed her head against his shoulder, her eyes searching his face. He looked down at her with his brown eyes that made her think of Angel all over again. The only other man she had loved. She smiled back at him, realizing there was no guilt or shame in him.

"I love you, Buffy," he said clearly. Buffy stared at him without speaking. Then her jaw clenched and she closed her eyes. The look in his eyes confirmed what she had been wanting for so long. He loved her. She felt numb and ecstatic inside. When she opened her eyes, she didn't look at him but at her room in front of them.

"You don't know how much that means to me, Xand." Her words were short, her voice soft. She could feel her muscles tense as they entered her bedroom.

"I thought about you every day when I was gone. The cruel thing I did to you by not believing you when you told me you 'love me' most of all is what I thought about. I hated myself for what I did..." Xander paused and glanced around the room, painful memories entering back into his mind. "...Here. I'm surprised... It looks the same."

Buffy's eyes fluttered, and she looked up at him through her dark lashes. He looked totally honest and believable. He was not saying those words just to get her to bed and Buffy knew that. Her hands groped his chest, trapped still in the hug, and she pushed Xander slightly so that she could free herself. Moving slowly, she slid her hands up to his shoulders, then around to the back of his neck.

"Would you believe me if I told you I love you again?" she whispered softly, staring deep into his eyes.

Xander smiled to himself, licking his lips in anticipation for the moment he had been waiting for a long time. "Yes. I would." Xander looked around the room, ready to begin a speech about it. "You know-"

Buffy shook her head at him, lifting a finger to press it against his mouth. "No more talking, Xander," she said softly. "Kiss me."

Nothing would have kept Xander from obeying. His mouth took hers hungrily, but even under the onslaught of intense passion, he was careful not to hurt her. Buffy marveled at the sensation and comfortable feeling of his mouth on hers, the strength of his arms as they lay at her butt, tantalizing her to explore his lower back as well. She was trembling by the time he lifted his mouth from hers.

Xander's gaze shifted from her lips to her eyes. They were gleaming at him, hot with wanting. He felt like he was burning under her fiery eyes.

"Gosh, Buffy, I always dreamed about kissing you again but that was... Wow..." Xander said, unable to hide the happiness the kiss brought him.

"You need some rest," she whispered, reaching up to stroke his jaw. Xander inhaled deeply at her touch, his eyes darkening with pleasure. They held their gazes for a moment, filled with love so certain, so ingrained, it could no longer be denied.

"Sorry Buffy, but I must," Xander uttered softly.

Buffy arched a brow. "What?'

Xander claimed her lips and breasts at once, urging her near the bed with his hands wrapped around her breasts, lowering his head to taste her impatient mouth. They were not the same lost lovers as they'd been when he'd first touched and kissed her underneath the scaffold. What they did, they did with full understanding of their love and its significance. They kissed as two who had paid long and hard for the right, tongue upon tongue, mouths open and adjustable, while he reshaped her breasts with the palms of his hands. Unfortunately for both of them, Xander missed the bed and backed Buffy into a wall, sending a tremor through the walls as he leaned against her, fully impassioned and unwilling to hide it. She was all he remembered, passionate and original with her mouth. She drew upon his tongue and lips, tasting him deep with swirls of her vigorous tongue, then with longing lips. The kiss didn't end, it diffused, and went to other areas- cheeks, ears, necks, shoulders.

"Oh..." Buffy whispered, realizing finally what Xander apologized for. There was no reason for him to apologize though, because she was enjoying every second of it. And so was Xander.

"Mmm," he murmured, kissing the sides of her lips.

"We should have been together all these years."

"In my dreams we were."

"Oh, Xander." Buffy kissed him with urgency of time lost, wet, distressed kisses signified by the loud sounds they made and the pleasure their bodies had inside one another.

When Buffy paused, panting, she told him, "I'd like my back to be on the bed, now."

Xander nodded. He scooped Buffy into his arms and placed her on the bed. "Sorry about your back."

Buffy giggled. "Xander... just kiss me."

"Is that all you want?"

Buffy bit her lip, shaking her head.

"Oh okay," Xander said. Holding onto her head, he showered her with kisses, leaving her skin moist.

It was a dark night. Rain was pounding onto him. Xander was running through a dark forest and people were shouting behind him. He could only see the torches they were carrying, and he was scared to death. He just knew he had to run very fast to get away from his pursuers.

Suddenly he felt someone pulling at his arm and pushing him into a brush of leaves.

Once he came out from the bushes, he realized it was daytime. In front of him stood Illeana, her long fingered hands holding onto his own. Her hair whipped against the wind, covering part of her scarred face.

Xander was the first one to talk. "Thank you. I didn't think I could get away from them."

Illeana led Xander to a tree where they could talk privately. She brought her right hand to caress his face. His eyes clouded with pain when the sleeve of her arm pulled back to reveal the bruises and cuts on her wrist. He dropped his head to rest against hers.

"It's alright, Xander," Illeana said softly.

"No, it's not," Xander said. He took a deep breath and raised his head back up. "That man... did he do that to you?"

"He raped me... it wasn't easy for him, but he accomplished it."

A frown creased Xander's forehead. "What's his name? I want to avenge your murder."

Illeana smiled at his serious face. "Sometimes... I wonder... what it would be like to be older... to have a family."

Xander studied her scarred face, obvious to him that the soldier who raped her had done the deed to her as well. "I still wonder about that too, Illeana... I don't have a family either."

Illeana looked deep into Xander, a faint smile crossing her lips. "You're going to make a difference, Xander. You really are."

Xander lowered his head, sitting uncomfortably under the tree. "How?"

Illeana played with her hair. "You just will... I can see it."

Xander smiled sadly. "Not me."

"But you will... I mean, you're so kind, gentle, and sweet- you're going to do something great in your life. I know you will."

"I failed you and your mom," Xander said softly. He touched the grass with his hand, feeling the sensation of each blade beneath his palm.

Illeana's hand reached out and brushed against Xander's. "Promise me something?" Illeana whispered, moving closer.

"Sure," Xander said, his heart starting to beat faster.

"Kill them! Kill them all!" she screamed in his face.

Taken back, Xander struggled to keep balance as she continued to scream and spat at his face.

"What are you doing here! Kill them! The people who murdered me! Now!" She pushed him to the ground and slapped him hard across the face.

The men with torches rushed through the clearing and saw Xander lying on the ground.

"Here he is!" Illeana's ecstatic scream echoed through the air, causing the vigilant men to change direction and charge Xander.

Xander gasped as he saw the men chasing after him. "Please, no! Don't!"

Buffy was awakened by a loud, strangled cry. It took her a moment to realize where she was. Then it came back to her. She was in her room in Paulus' house. Feeling calm and peaceful, she almost fell back to sleep but the sound that awakened her repeated. Buffy slipped from her bed and realized she was naked. Then the recollection of sleeping with Xander came to mind.

"Xander..." she whispered. 

Just as she stood on her feet, Buffy could make out Xander's naked body on the floor. He was lying on his stomach, his hands clutching the blanket he had brought down with him. He was covered with sweat and his head moved fighting against the nightmare that had overtaken him. Buffy glanced up at Cimberius, who stood in the doorway, and he shrugged at her. She moved to where Xander was laying and knelt beside him.

"Xander... Xander... It's Buffy," she said trying to break through whatever was tormenting his mind.

Xander gasped several deep breaths. Pulling his right hand down, he closed it in a tight fist. A look of pain flooded across Xander's face as he tried to control his breathing.

Buffy kept her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," she said soothingly. "You just had a nightmare... It'll be okay..." she started to rub his shoulder. His breathing began to go back to normal. "What did you have a nightmare about?"

"The girl," Xander said, still gasping a little. He looked over at her. "Are you alright?"

Buffy stood back on her feet, her naked body glistening with sweat. "I am now. Xander you scared me..."

"It wasn't my muscles this time, was it?" Xander said, chuckling slightly.

Buffy looked back at Cimberius who was standing in the doorway. "It's alright," she assured him. "I got him."

Cimberius nodded and went back towards his bed.

Buffy looked back at Xander who now had his eyes closed. She put her hand back on his shoulder and could feel a huge tension in his muscles. "What girl are you talking about?"

"No one."

"You said, 'the girl,' which means I probably know who she is. Who's the girl?"

"I told you already. It's nobody."

"Are you going to join me in bed?"

"Not now."

Buffy smirked. "Why not?"

"Because I'll wake you up again. I keep having these hallucinations!" Xander said loudly.

Buffy's voice was soft. "Well, I'm tired. I'm going back to sleep. Are you sure you don't want to join me?"

The seductive, innocent look in Buffy's eyes made Xander have to think about it. "I can't," he said drowsily. "Only because of the nightmare. I'll just stay up for the rest of the night."

Buffy sighed. "Okay, but just don't get all Angel and Spike on me. I like to sleep in peace."

Xander nodded, his eyes starting to close. "You got it, babe."

Xander was not at all pleased with the nightmare he had the previous night or the ghost he saw when he passed Cato's burnt down home. Something was after him, and he had to assure Cimberius that he knew what exactly was bothering him.

Once he had been screamed at by Illeana in his nightmare, the words 'Kill them! The people who murdered me,' he realized that his nightmares were more directing him to do something than anything else. Xander had thought, over time, the Illeana and Acacia issue would die away, but there were too many cases of them interfering with his life and sleep that made him want to take action.

Cimberius was waiting for Xander just inside the kitchen when he came in.

"You had a terrible nightmare," Cimberius said dryly. "We all get them sometimes."

"I've been getting them too much," Xander said. "I can't take it anymore. I have to do something."

"Do something about nightmares?" Cimberius asked, raising his eyebrows. "Time will be the only thing that can help you get past it."

"Fuck that," Xander said. "Let's just say these nightmares are orders that I have to follow."

"Orders? This is not the goddamn army, Xander," Cimberius said. "Please, stop acting all crazy and let's have some breakfast."

"The names... I want the names!" Xander fumed. It earned him a strange look from Buffy who stood across the kitchen, watching his actions unfold.

"Names," Cimberius said simply. "Who's names?"

"The men who killed Acacia and Illeana!" Xander said, spit erupting from his lips.

"Can you leave me out of it?" Cimberius asked, even though he knew that he would be left out.

"Cimberius," Xander said impatiently, "get a piece of paper and write down all of the names of the bastards who killed those women."

"What are you going to do?" Cimberius asked icily.

"I just want the names. I'm not going to do anything foolish," Xander replied.

Cimberius nodded and simply got up and walked out of the kitchen.


	24. A Man of His Word

Later, in a chair in the living room, waiting for Cimberius to return with the names, Xander sipped wine and tried to pull himself together. It was going to be all right. It had to be. Cimberius would understand. His nightmares and visions were completely understandable. The door opened as Buffy entered the room with cups of tea on a silver tray. 

Xander glanced at Buffy. "What do we have here?"

"I brought you some tea." She poured some tea from a silver pot into a delicate porcelain cup. "I thought this might calm you down."

"Thanks." Xander took a sip, then gulped it down gratefully. "I haven't had a nice cup of tea since we were back in Sunnydale. But that was Brisk's." He glanced up at Buffy, reached and caressed her cheek. "I'm sorry if what happened last night bothered you at all. It wasn't what I wanted to happen."

"The sex?" she asked, frowning lightly.

Xander laughed. "No, no. The nightmare... and my rage this morning. I'm just sick of the pain. I thought it would go away being with you... but it's still there."

"It's a good thing you have me to look after you, Xander," Buffy said and poured him another cup of tea.

"Yeah," Xander agreed calmly.

"Could your nightmare have been about Illeana? The girl you were referring to..."

"Yes, it was," Xander admitted. He crossed to Buffy's tray, helped himself to some more tea and sat next to a window. "She treated me nicely in the beginning... it was remarkable how real our conversation was. To start with, she said that she was raped. Throughout most of the nightmare, she acted like the real Illeana, playing with her hair, goofing around... It was like it was her, not just a nightmare."

"How long have you been dreaming about Acacia and Illeana?" Buffy asked.

Xander leaned back in his chair. "The past few days. It's like I totally forgot about them during my stay at the camp and all of a sudden, it's coming right back at me."

Buffy walked to the window and peered out into the sun. "Xander, it's only natural to have nightmares about what happened to Acacia and Illeana." She paused for a moment, then continued, "But I think in your case, you're holding guilt about it... and you shouldn't."

"They wouldn't have died if I wasn't there."

"I would've died if you weren't at the scaffold to save me." Buffy sighed, looking up at the ceiling, remembering other details from her stay at Cato's. "Acacia would have been beaten to death if you weren't there..." Her eyes fell back onto Xander's. "I mean, Xander, you did a lot of good for them, didn't you?" Buffy demanded. "Let it go, Xander. It makes me upset to see you like this..."

Xander looked down at his cup. "They won't let it go. And now I've got to do something to make them know that they didn't die in vain."

"So... what? Looking at the murderer's names will do them justice?" Buffy went on. "There is no possible way to get revenge for their deaths."

"At least I will get to see the names of the murderers."

Xander sounded upset, shaky. Buffy tried to sound cheerful.

"You and I have the whole day to ourselves. You know, Paulus said that he can show us around the city later today."

"Did he? That was nice of him."

"Yeah, I thought so." She sat down on the sofa beside him. "So... Xand... anything else on your mind?"

"I shouldn't have brought them in danger. I should've stayed away."

Buffy sighed. "Come on, Xand."

"I should have ran out with you when we were in the scaffold. I wouldn't have been seen then. I just thought-"

"Xander, Xander, stop. Don't torture yourself. It doesn't matter. It's over. There's nothing we can do about it."

Cimberius showed up a few minutes later, by which time Xander was already falling asleep and Buffy was snuggled up next to him on the sofa. Xander had calmed down since his rage in the kitchen that morning. He wasn't angry anymore. He was just tired, Cimberius thought.

Cimberius wanted to keep the conversation light. He handed Xander a list of names that he knew were responsible for Illeana and Acacia's death. Cimberius didn't mention Considius, or some of his friends in the guard. He seemed content to list the men who he thought truly deserved to be blamed.

With trembling hands, Xander held the page up to the light, and promptly said, "Thank you, Cimberius."

The list looked like a poor family's Christmas list. A few names of the murderers and that was it. Nothing descriptive.

"They're just the men who really committed the crime. It's real."

"Real?" Xander's tired gaze strayed from Cimberius back to the paper. The bold written name of Pulcher bulged out noticeably. "You told me about this Pulcher guy before..."

"He's a stubborn, power-hungry soldier with balls of steel," Cimberius explained.

"So that guy is still alive?"

Cimberius sighed. "Apparently. My grandfather told me he heard that Pulcher assumed leadership of the Praetorian Guard again, after he lost it."

Buffy opened her eyes, struck by the familiarity of the name. "Pulcher... yeah, he's the guy that came to the house searching for me and Xand."

Xander gave Cimberius a look.

Cimberius smiled tightly. "Balls of steel," he muttered.

"Do you think he's still searching for us?" Xander asked.

Cimberius shook his head. "No. If he is back in leadership like Paulus said and with Severus coming into the city, he has bigger fish to fry."

"So this is the guy that authorized killing Acacia and Illeana?" Xander persisted, searching down the other names on the list.

"Yes. The other men were just following orders," Cimberius said. "The women didn't deserve to die, and Pertinax didn't deserve to die. It was one man that took it upon himself to get rid of them. That was Pulcher."

"Can we talk to him?"

"Leave that matter to me, my friend. Confronting Pulcher doesn't bother me. I'm going to see him and see if I can find any remorse for what he did. Would that be all right with you?"

Xander hesitated. "I guess," he said at last.

"I'll be okay, Xander. I told you before I don't think Pulcher hates me or would kill me," Cimberius stated.

"I'm just saying maybe I should be with you," Xander said mildly.

Cimberius shook his head again. Then he ran a hand through his curly, blonde hair. "It's hard to tell. This man... what he's thinking. He's not predictable like most leaders. This guy, isn't just about the kill, it's all a game to him. We know how much he wants to find you and Buffy. I know... based on experience, he would be pleasured to kill you on sight. But he won't have his way anymore. Somehow, someway, I'll convince him to lower his egotism."

"You seem to hate this guy a lot..." Xander said.

"There's many reasons." Cimberius sighed. He spread out his hands on a table. "One of them being that he shouldn't come into my house and threaten my grandfather. He needs to know when enough is enough."

Xander nodded. He leaned forward, but not too much so Buffy could still rest her head and arms on him. "When are you going to confront him?"

"When I'm ready to." 

Xander shook his head. "Cimberius," he said, "I hope you are careful."

"It's going to be all right, Xander," Cimberius murmured. "I promise you, it's going to be all right."

Then he walked out of the room, and Xander knew why. He didn't want any of them to see that he had just told them a lie.

Buffy drew her hands into Xander's lap and pushed back in the sofa. There was something unsettling about Xander's sudden despair for Acacia and Illeana. Maybe it was just one of those days.

"If you want to get rid of the nightmares," she said, "you first need to stop talking about it."

Xander drained the last inch of his tea.

"I know... what you're saying is right..." He wiped his mouth and looked around the room. "Did I tell you I saw a ghost as well?"

Buffy shook her head.

"Well, I did," Xander said. "I saw Acacia outside the remains of Cato's house."

"When was this exactly?" Buffy asked.

"On the way to Rome..."

Buffy sighed, rubbed her eyes and took the paper from Xander's lap. "Cimberius probably thinks your crazy."

"You're probably right."

Buffy looked out at Cimberius through another room. "A good guy like that shouldn't be getting himself mixed up in this sort of thing."

"He's very determined," Xander told her. "He wants to take Pulcher head on."

"He learned it from you," Buffy said easily, tilting his chin with a careless hand and smiling into his upturned face. "You have great determination. You were determined not to let me hang."

After a moment, Xander smiled back at her. They were smiling rather foolishly at each other when Xander's stomach interrupted with a loud rumble.

"Oh, I'm keeping you from breakfast," she said politely. "I'll go."

Buffy dropped her hand from his chin.

Xander was conscious of an impulse to ask her to stay and snuggle with him, but the awkwardness he would feel with his mixed emotions held him back.

"Buffy," he said, sounding as uncomfortable as he felt but feeling that he had to tell her. She had already taken a few steps out of the living room, but as he spoke, she looked back over her shoulder.

"Yeah, Xand?"

"Thank you."

"For what?" Buffy asked.

"For caring," Xander acknowledged, smiling a little.

"Your welcome," she said after a moment. She hesitated, then unwillingly turned to head out of the living room.

Cimberius slid his leather gauntlets onto his hands and stepped in front of his mirror. He stood strong and tall, his blue eyes set with determination. He grabbed his open-faced helmet from the table beside him and placed it slowly over his head. His belt was already secured around his waist, wrapped in a bright purple sash of fine fabric; and complementing that, a purple ribbon was tied around Cimberius' right upper arm, a sign of his wealth and power in the city. Only members of the Praetorian Guard or the Senate, could by Roman law wear such distinctive armbands.

Cimberius kept his eyes firmly locked on the mirror in front of him. "Well, my friend, shall we go and remind Pulcher the importance of being respectful?" he remarked, turning his sly smile away from the mirror.

As he headed out of his room, he took one of the small iron-tipped swords set at the side of the door, and hoisted it high. A warrior experienced to sword fighting, Cimberius knew he was skilled enough to hold his own against Pulcher if it came down to a sword fight. He had mastered many moves while in Gerasa and even thought about teaching Xander those moves when he had time.

But Xander wasn't his concern at the moment. It was the man who ordered the killing of Acacia and Illeana, and convinced the Praetorian Guard to kill Pertinax; Pulcher. He was determined not to give him more time to plot his atrocities on anyone else. It was his obligation he felt, to keep his former superior officer, Pulcher, back in line.

Xander smiled as the sun warmed his face. It was a quiet, peaceful morning and he'd decided to eat breakfast outside, watching the sun rise lazily in the sky. The breakfast laid out on the small, low table in front of him was one he was familiar with, the sort of thing he missed having occasionally on Friday nights. The meal of rice, soup, and other things Xander couldn't name seemed to resemble Chinese food. A piece of toast was the only other thing Xander could identify, but that seemed bland compared to the range of tastes and textures he was sucking into now.

Xander picked up mouthfuls of his meal with a fork, something else he'd missed, as he thought about the day ahead of him. Later in the afternoon, he was planning to spend time with Buffy and Paulus, the latter showing them around the city. He wanted to learn as much from Paulus about Rome as he could. He was still a little nervous about going on a trip through Rome since his last tour with Cato, but he was determined not to let it bother him. Paulus was a wise man, and he figured, a lot more cautious than Cato was.

He sighed softly, thinking of Cato for a moment. He missed having a fatherly spirit around to talk to. Cato had been a good companion, always there when he needed him but never disturbing or intruding him when he wanted to be alone. At times he felt regret for telling Cato to leave his own house that fateful day, but some part of him felt better for making Cato survive. He only wished he had done the same to Acacia and Illeana.

Cimberius wandered down the stairs to the foyer where no one was around. He walked slowly among the creaky boards, pausing to hear the loud sounds he produced to make sure one sound wouldn't be loud enough to draw attention. He spotted a slight movement from behind and instinctively burst to the front door, thinking it best to leave. Whether he was noticed or not, he knew no matter who saw him, it would be difficult for him or her to follow him.

He reached for the knob to the front door and opened it wide. Stepping out into the warm sun, Cimberius covered his eyes with his right hand and with his left still on the knob, blindly closed the door behind him.

Xander drew a long, nervous breath and stood in the foyer, staring unseeingly through a window to the side of the door. He had not intended on leaving his breakfast unfinished- indeed, he had no business to involve himself with what his friend was doing, but Cimberius was sneaking out of the house and what else could he do? Something about Cimberius' meeting with Pulcher frightened him; he had heard so many awful things Pulcher had done to people. He felt the sudden urge to get his friend out of harm's way before he or anyone was hurt. What made Cimberius, who deserted the Praetorian Guard, immune to Pulcher's wrath? He wondered.

Xander continued to stare moodily out through the window, watching as Cimberius untied his horse from a tree. Just as Cimberius freed his horse, Buffy came into the foyer. Seeing Xander peeking out the window, she stopped, and with a muttered word of apology began to back out.

"Did you want something, Buffy?" Xander asked wearily, feeling more annoyed at himself for his noisiness as he observed Cimberius' attempt to mount his horse.

"Oh no, Xander," Buffy assured him hastily. "I thought you were about to leave and I wanted to say goodbye."

Xander eyed Buffy. Obviously Buffy was concerned to find him staring out the window, and he suspected that she had a feeling what he was thinking about doing.

"You know where Cimberius is going, right?" Xander asked. "Cimberius is too sure of himself. After all the things he's told me about Pulcher, he is clearly putting himself in danger."

Buffy looked even more unhappy.

"It looks like you are about to put yourself in danger as well."

"I'm just going to follow him and see if everything goes-" His eyes caught Cimberius riding his horse away from the house. "Damn it to hell!" Xander raced to the door, looking so energized that Buffy backed away. "I gotta follow him! Don't worry about me, Buffy, I promise I won't get involved!" He whipped open the door and rushed out. When he reached the porch, he leapt down the steps two at a time. Breathing hard, he went to untie his brown horse from a tree. "Tell Paulus of Cimberius and I's whereabouts just in case we don't come back, so he can get someone to save us!"

"Xander, let me come with you!" Buffy cried, trying to make Xander come back, but it was too late.

Xander ripped the reins off from the tree and as Buffy ran outside to follow him, he mounted his horse and rode off, leaving her in the dust.

According to Xander's calculations, by the time he had got his horse free and mounted, Cimberius had a good five minutes' start on him. He had seen his friend head off down the road toward the center of the city, a mile away. It was obvious to Xander that Cimberius didn't want to be followed. It would be easy with Cimberius' determination to hide in such a big place. So Xander went a shortcut. After fifteen minutes of hard riding- his mount, a brown horse with the speed of a car- came into the city, and Xander saw Cimberius. He was mounted on his small grey horse, and he was going at a slow pace, clearly confident nobody was following him.

As Xander quickly closed the distance between them, he noticed that Cimberius sat on his mount with a certain cautiousness. Xander continued riding his horse recklessly towards Cimberius, daring his friend to turn around. Cimberius didn't turn around until he was less than thirty feet away. The sound of Xander's horses' hoofbeats caused Cimberius to cast a glance back over his shoulder.

Clapping his heels into the stallion's side and grunting a cry to make his horse move, Xander successfully brought his horse behind a tent to his right, out of view from Cimberius.

Cimberius inspected the area thoroughly for any horses. After a few moments, he turned back to face the road ahead of him, sure that what he heard was unimportant.

Xander grinned wildly, seeing his friend through an opening in the tent, and sent his mount streaking after him.

Paulus was outside for most of the morning. By the time Paulus finally walked through his door, he saw Buffy sitting on the steps, in a state of panic..

"Where have you been?" Buffy flew across the room and grabbed his arm.

"Out in the back, pulling weeds."

"Cimberius left to confront Pulcher and Xander followed him..."

Paulus scanned the house and turned to Buffy, throwing her an angry glare. "You let them leave, why!"

"I-I tried not to let Xander go. Cimberius was already on his horse..."

Paulus slipped away to get himself a cup of water and met Buffy in the kitchen door archway.

"What should we do?" Buffy inquired.

"We just have to wait for them to come back..."

"And if they don't?" Biting her nails, Buffy tried to remain cool. "Xander told me to tell you that if they don't come back, you can send help."

"Help them for their foolish actions? Ha. They brought this upon themselves..." Shaking his head, Paulus left the kitchen and headed to the stairs. "I knew my boy would want to confront Pulcher!"

Buffy just stared for a moment, confused and astounded by Paulus' words.

Xander hit the obstructed streets of Rome, riding for twenty minutes through the cobblestone maze of road, alongside a seemingly endless marketplace tucked conveniently on the side. A line of customers stood impatiently at various marketplaces, stretching out into the middle of the street.

He rode quickly through the street, dodging reckless carts, horses, and people already fed up with the morning excursion. A tall gate and dark waxy walls beckoned in the distance. Xander coughed on dust and dirt from riders on horses passing by and fought his way to the gate after Cimberius.

At the exact moment Xander got into a clearing from the mess, he saw Cimberius stroll through the gates. He identified a couple of grisly guards at the front of the gate, who let him in, and he proceeded cautiously towards a corner where he could hide.

Xander got behind a wall of a building about forty feet from the gates and ducked down against his horse. The wall easily obscured his frame, but he still felt vulnerable. Not that he had much to fear. Strange hair, ill-fitting clothes, pinched white features. However he looked, it was different and enough to arouse suspicion from anyone in the city.

'Oh boy,' Xander thought. 'I'll just have to wait until Cimberius comes out.'

He slid his arms around the black mane of his horse, using the horse's body like a bed and sighed. "Hopefully they won't be too long," he said, yawning.

Sometime after he entered the Praetorian Guard Camp, Cimberius walked into one of the buildings he expected Pulcher to be in and searched every person's face, glaring into their eyes hoping one would be him. It was chilly and there was a touch of rain in the air, but he could already tell it wasn't going to be a beautiful day. But there was a spring in his step this morning, and peace within his heart. He was happy and determined. That's all that mattered.

Soldiers were everywhere in the building, talking and fighting over things. In a week or so, they would go on trips with the Emperor or go on a vacation, maybe to Greece for a couple of days. Maybe take a walking tour to the Temple of Jupiter in Athens, lavishly rebuilt by the Emperor Hadrian. Just themselves, their swords, and plenty of time to talk and think.

And he would be staying home, living a sedentary existence.

Arpineius walked down the spiral staircase and met Cimberius at the bottom of the stairs. He steered Cimberius away from the mob of guards who were soon to take notice of him. "You don't know how much trouble you're getting yourself into," he said in explanation. "Let's walk."

Cimberius didn't move. "Is everyone here still set on taking my head?"

"I don't know. I know I don't want to see you being beaten to death."

Cimberius sneered slightly. "You men get such a wonderful life. I can see why the army themselves hate the Praetorian Guard. They're overpaid, lazy, and all they do is talk."

"I don't want you dead," Arpineius insisted.

"Where's Pulcher?"

Arpineius' eyes widened in shock. "You want to see him? Are you out of your mind?"

Cimberius got about twenty steps towards the spiral staircase before Arpineius came after him and caught his arm. Cimberius was annoyed now; he swung around, unsheathing his sword and making Arpineius back away from him. "Prevent me again from seeing him and I won't feel remorse using this on you."

"I know you, Cimberius," Arpineius said. "You are a good man. Promise me you will not try to kill him."

"You assume too much. I'm here to use my words, not my sword."

"Promise me you will not fight him!"

"All right, all right, I promise you!" Cimberius said, spitting out his words. "God, have you aligned yourself with such a devil?"

Cimberius looked Arpineius in the face, and was shocked to see the sheen of tears in his eyes. It had been a long time since they had seen each other. But that was not why he was crying.

"My life, I suppose," he told him in a shameful tone. "Cimberius, tell me truthfully... Why did you leave the Praetorian Guard?"

"It was the right time for me to go. You're a grown man, Arpineius, what do you think? I have nothing more for me to say to you. Now... let go."

"Okay."

Cimberius drew back, shaking free of the older man's grasp.

Arpineius felt a bite of anxiety then; it showed in his face and his voice. "If something happens to you... I am sorry."

Cimberius started toward the staircase, shaking his head. He didn't know if death would happen to him, but he wanted to find out. There was no doubt about the nerves he felt about meeting Pulcher. But he had already went up the stairs and his sword already in his hands. There was no turning back.

Coming closer to the Praetorian Guard camp were two men and one woman on horseback, and beautiful horses to go with them. They approached past the building Xander hid behind, the hooves of the horses now pounding in time with his heart. Xander didn't know what to expect. They pulled their horses to a stop five feet away from him, and Xander jumped back a little, nearly dropping from his horse. Nervous as he was, he straddled back onto the top of his horse and looked up.

Even though there were three people, only one of them interested him. She was a beautiful woman, one with deep brown eyes, hair that reached to the bottom of her neck, a slightly pointed nose, and dusky lips. He blushed under her gaze and turned his head away shyly, staring at the ground in embarrassment. When Xander looked up again, she was smiling.

But then one of the men spoke. "What are you doing there, boy?" he asked Xander.

"Just getting some rest," he said cooly, trying desperately to pry his eyes from the belly dancer in the middle.

"Do you have a home?" the other man asked.

"Yes. But I am tired..." Xander said, finally shifting his gaze to the man who spoke.

"All right," the first man said, nodding. "We'll leave you to yourself. Have a good day."

Xander smiled at their parting words. "Thank you," he said. But he obviously would have preferred to have the one who hadn't spoken yet with him.

They leaned back, and as Xander stared at the belly dancer, eyes wide and mouth agape, the trio left him where he was.

"Cimberius! What an unpleasant surprise!"

Cimberius stood framed in the doorway, his long bedraggled armor loosened; he wore his old cape with frayed holes in them, and his helmet. There was mud on his boots, and on his sharp face was a hard wary expression that made him look like a stranger to Pulcher. And now he stood, tilting his head, glancing over Pulcher's shoulders at the long chamber behind him, his men busy conferring over defense plans. One of the men was Considius; another was Tullia.

"This looks like you," Cimberius said. His gaze fixed on Pulcher. "Letting all your men do the work for you."

"They're just discussing plans in case Severus decides to attack us. Bigger and better plans, I say, all at their own expense." Pulcher made a small awkward gesture. "This is not the time for a reunion, Cimberius."

"I didn't come here for a reunion."

Tullia sauntered towards them. He measured himself against Pulcher and smiled a little at the new guest. Then his face went grave and he held out his hand. "Welcome back, Cimberius," he said.

Cimberius made no move to shake hands. "I don't want to join back," he said. "I came here to tell you and your friend..." He stared hard into Pulcher's eyes. "... that you're not as untouchable as you may believe you are."

"Cimberius," Pulcher warned.

Cimberius glanced at Tullia. "Leave us."

"I have to go back to the plans anyway," Tullia murmured. Cimberius and Pulcher watched the soldier cross back to the other guards, resuming his defense discussion as if nothing had happened. Pulcher then glanced sharply over Cimberius.

"This time... I do not appreciate your boldness, Cimberius," Pulcher said.

"I don't appreciate your uncompromising hunger to capture Buffy and Xander. Especially if it involves coming into my grandfather's home, Pulcher. I heard about that. He told me you were bloodthirsty, that you wanted to find them whatever the costs."

"Your grandfather was a good banker."

"That's beside the point... It would have been better if you just let the situation go... If you had not assembled a group of men to try to find them. And if you also did the same for Pertinax... but you knew where he was and you killed him, you vile, worthless coward," Cimberius said, "you gave me so many reasons for me to come here and kill you."

"You've wanted to for so long... to stab me in the heart..." Pulcher reminded him loudly.

His words fell into a lull in the conversation. His tone of voice was such as would command attention. The small gathering of soldiers craned to glance at Cimberius in curiosity; Cimberius wore a small smile, and Pulcher looked over his shoulder and said, "Get out."

The guards looked at Pulcher in astonishment. "But-" Antistius began, lifting his hands; Tullia cut him off. "Discussion is over. All of you, get out. Everyone." They began to babble.

"Get out!" Pulcher cried.

In a few moments, the chamber was cleared- all save for just Cimberius and Pulcher. The last of the guards shut the door as they went out.

Pulcher stood up from his chair and strolled closer to Cimberius. As he did, he reached into one of the boxes beside him and lifted out a sword, hefting it in his hand. And as he did this, Cimberius drew his own sword. "You picked the wrong time to confront me," Pulcher remarked, "I have far many things to worry about than you, Cimberius."

Cimberius spoke in a sad tone. "I knew it would come down to this." At the same moment, stepping back, he added, "In all honesty, Pulcher, I didn't come here to fight."

"Don't make any excuses. You know the Empire would be better off without me."

"You don't know how good I am now, do you? I've been training for a week down in Gerasa-" Cimberius mentioned, hoping his words would intimidate Pulcher and cause him to back down.

Pulcher thrust his sword in quickly. Cimberius blocked, binding the blade with his own and pushing it harmlessly out of the line of attack. "Training means nothing," Pulcher said. "Were you trained for this!" Again, Pulcher cut and his sword was stopped dead by Cimberius', angled against it. And again, using a two-handed grip for strength, Cimberius forced Pulcher's sword aside.

"You've always been predictable, Pulcher," Cimberius said. He pursued forward at his enemy. "There's nothing that you can show me that I haven't seen."

"Cimberius, you've changed," Pulcher said, smiling nervously. "You have become a dauntless warrior." He glanced up to his door. "Tullia!"

The door to the chamber immediately flew open.

"You coward!"

Cimberius lunged, his blade slicing forward at Pulcher.

It hit Pulcher's armor and Pulcher immediately swung Cimberius' sword out of his way with his own before it could penetrate any further.

As might an officer presiding over a fight in the streets, Tullia unsheathed his sword and smashed Cimberius' sword from behind with a screech and scream of steel. Cimberius immediately retreated back, his sword lost from his grip and on the floor. Realizing his opponent was slightly disoriented, Pulcher lunged after him, hungry for the kill; and Cimberius checked him with his shoulder, knocking him backwards and causing Pulcher's sword to fly right into his hands. "Damn you!" Cimberius shouted. "Damn you, you coward!"

Tullia brought his sword crashing down on Cimberius.  
"This is not right!" Cimberius shouted, dodging the blind swings from Tullia. 

"Tullia, let me have him before you get hurt," Pulcher said, and he rushed to get around Tullia. He caught the wrist of his friend's sword-hand just as he was about to swing at Cimberius, and he jerked the sword free, cursing. "This is not your problem. All I wanted was a diversion-"

Cimberius couldn't stop Pulcher's swinging blade and it sliced a hole in Tullia's neck.

Pulcher felt his friend's blood spew into his face and with a horrified scream, watched his friend fall to the ground.  
He turned to Cimberius, his eyes wild as a madman's. "You fucker!"

Pulcher slammed against him, causing the sword in Cimberius' hands to fall and for a moment they were like wild beasts, wrestling with brute strength with their bodies.

"You murderer! He was defenseless!" Pulcher yelled.

"I couldn't stop the blade!"

Pulcher attempted to punch Cimberius, but Cimberius ducked and pushed him forcefully onto his back.

Pulcher settled in on the floor, allowing himself to relax for a moment to get past the horror of witnessing his friend's death. He had to get up soon to fight Cimberius, and that was going to take all his attention and determination.

As he started to rotate his shoulders so that he could roll on his side to get up, his tired arm found support on an iron sword. It was Cimberius' sword. He felt a hand grab his shoulder. He stiffened immediately and closed his eyes, expecting a barrage of blows to rain down upon him.   
Surprised nothing had happened for a few seconds, Pulcher turned and saw Cimberius, his eyes glazed with blood lust. He could tell that he wanted to kill him with one strong blow. Cimberius had his fists already cocked back, poised to knock him out.

Just as his fists came down on his enemy, Pulcher snatched the iron sword and impaled him through the chest.

Cimberius' eyes were as wide as a child's. He whispered, "No...," and began to crumple over the blade.

Pulcher withdrew the sword from his chest, leapt to his feet, and threw the bloody sword aside. "There! You fucking fool!"

Cimberius fell onto his knees. He arched over, bleeding profusely from the wound next to his heart. He could feel the pain, deep and bruising within his bones. It was an ecstatic agony, a blow upon his emotions and his body.

Pulcher watched Cimberius from across the room, and stepped over Tullia's corpse as he approached menacingly. "The blood is on your sword, Cimberius."

All the other guards burst into the chamber. When their eyes caught sight of the two bleeding men, they froze, and turned to the only man standing. Pulcher was hovering over Cimberius, looking as if he didn't know what to do.

"Men... take Cimberius outside the camp. One dead body is enough for my chamber..." Pulcher commanded wearily, not taking his eyes off Cimberius.

Cimberius coughed out droplets of blood from his mouth. "I wish I had sliced your neck..."

Pulcher looked disgustedly at Tullia's body on the ground, then looked back at Cimberius. "I wish you had too..."

"I'm... sorry for him..." Cimberius croaked, all to aware of the burning wound in his stomach, overshadowed by the pain in his heart.

"Men!" Pulcher yelled. "Carry him outside, goddamn it!"

Tears leaked out slowly from Pulcher's eyes as he watched his men carry Cimberius' lifeless body from the chamber.

Pulcher gently brushed the tears from his eyes. "Don't hurt him any more than what I did," he said as they carried him. "Let him bleed to death."

The guards frowned, not believing what their superior officer had just said, but they continued holding Cimberius' body in their arms as they left the room.

Pulcher smiled weakly, comforted that he had some form of revenge for his friend's death.

Xander badly wanted to see if Cimberius was all right, but couldn't quite bring himself to peek his head around the corner. Instead, he looked what was around the camp. There were a few trees, some concrete benches, and a lovely view of the Colosseum from his vantage point. This time of day, the city looked amazing, and was easy for one to pause and admire the beauty.

It was past ten minutes when the gates of the camp finally screeched open. Xander was having such a lovely time looking around the various sites and seeing the enormous buildings that he almost ignored the sound. After he grew bored looking through the city, he sighed and felt happier than ever that he knew his friend was all right.

He moved his horse over to the edge of the wall and looked out of the side in the corner. The view stretched out across the dirt towards the gate in the distance, washed in bright sunlight.

Xander's shoulders tensed. Xander saw Cimberius staggering, blood flowing from his stomach, as he walked out of the camp. Xander stepped his horse back a little from what he saw, but with his hands firmly on the reins of the horse, he gave a cry and galloped his horse towards his friend.

Rising from his horse and ready to dismount, he approached Cimberius quickly, who just at that moment, fell to the ground. An idea came to him and his hands shook as he began to pull his white T-shirt over his head. With the blood pouring out of Cimberius' skin like a waterfall, he needed his shirt to use as pressure to the wound. He hurdled himself over his horse, holding tightly to his shirt, and called out, "Cimberius!"

Xander turned frantically to the two guards watching the scene. "Go on! Get some help!" After both men shook their heads and backed away, Xander squeezed his shirt and advanced on his best friend. "Look... I don't have much time... I'm going to have to carry you to a hospital, then... You'll be okay..."

Cimberius was completely clueless. He had no idea what Xander was talking about, and having a shirt applied to his wound, a few inches from his heart, made it a bit harder to think. He already knew he was going to be dead soon. Shaking his head, he tried to clear out his racing thoughts.

"Are you going to lay there or do you want to live!" Xander demanded, his hand tightening on his shirt against Cimberius' wound.

"Xander... I'm dying..." Cimberius muttered, his stomach turning with pain, hoping Xander would not try to carry him.

"That's why you need medical help." Xander's eyes reflected no recognition of what his friend implied as he tried to scoop his friend into his arms. Cimberius' weight was too heavy for Xander and he lost control, sending Cimberius crashing against the camp walls. He slumped to the floor, the breath knocked out of him, and darkness already invading the edges of his vision.

"Xander?..." Cimberius choked out, his throat filling with fluids. He coughed, spilling the blood down his chin, trying to pull in tiny gasps of air so he could speak. "I-I thought I could kill Pulcher... I-I was wrong... he has too many men..."

Xander knelt down beside the dying young man who he knew better than any other Roman he'd met. Something deep inside tugged at his heart, but all he felt was a tremendous amount of regret for allowing his friend to get fatally wounded. Cimberius' vibrant blue eyes, now glazed over and half closed, gazed unfocused at Xander. He tipped back his Praetorian helmet and studied his friend's face, analyzing him and wrestling with thoughts that he could still save him.

"You're a man of your word, Cimberius. I hate to see you dying... I want to kill Pulcher by myself..." Xander said softly, with a deep tone of compassion. Blurriness clouded Cimberius' mind, and what little focus he had left was used to draw one more breath.

Cimberius glanced up at the sky, his eyes were red-rimmed and glistening. "Pulcher... you must not kill him by yourself... you need men..." His pain then subsided, and now there was just cold. Suddenly, he felt a sharp stinging in his heart, and fell over beside his friend.

"Cimberius!" Xander caught the side of his friend's neck, then slowly came to awareness, as if waking from a nightmare. His friend was dead. Noticing the guards behind him, he stood up and turned to look. "Open the gate!"

The guards stared at Xander, not flinching.   
Xander, realizing they wouldn't let him in, turned his eyes slowly to look at his friend. He drew a deep, rough breath, flinching from the pain his death had caused. "Cimberius... Oh, god... why? God, why!" He screamed, not able to gather enough strength to continue. He just squeezed Cimberius' hand in an attempt to make him feel more calm.

"Cimberius..." Xander said, his voice turning into a small whine as tears formed in his eyes. He leaned closer to his pale friend, squeezing his hand harder. "I should have been with you..." With that, Xander closed his friend's eyes with his fingers. He choked back a sob, tears flowing rapidly down his face onto the blood stained armor of his best friend.

"I promise you I will kill him..." Xander said, holding his friend's lifeless hand and rocking him back and forth. Xander may have forgiven Cimberius for going on his own, but he could not forgive himself for not joining him.

"You saved my life... made my life better here... I'll never forget you, my friend," he whispered, resting his head against Cimberius'. "Never."

There was a lot more space and room for Severus' legion now, and through the trees Xander could see soldiers and the occasional politicians talking on Palatine Hill. There were a number of guards standing beside a gate.

Xander emerged from the shadows. He was carrying the dead body of Cimberius on his bare shoulders. He went in undisturbed through the gate.

One of the guards eyes' widened at the sight of the bloody body hanging over Xander's naked chest. "Shit... what happened!"

Xander could see Severus up ahead, and he followed him along a path between a jumble of guards, monuments of every kind on either side: marble angels, sculptures of Emperors, sarcophagi. The palace had a considerable Roman charm, everything seemed overgrown, and beautiful.

Xander stopped at a sculpture of a man he remembered seeing at his jail cell evident by the shape of his colossal head. He stood there looking at it for quite a while, and Xander turned away and pretended to be examining other sculptures. There were other soldiers about, and Duratius came toward him, but upon seeing the recognizable body of Cimberius in his arms, frowned in horror and passed by.  
He turned to see that Severus was on the move. Xander paused briefly at the monument he had stopped at and found that the huge head was that of Pertinax. He glanced up at it, turned and found that Severus was gone. He hurried forward in sudden panic, and when he came to the next turning he saw him through some trees, standing looking down from a ledge.

He waited until Severus turned into the main path before moving forward quickly. He hurried in that direction. He could see Severus going down the road straight to the main path, and Xander was already ten feet away as he emerged into the road.

Xander ran into Severus and nearly dropped the dead body of Cimberius.

Severus tried to act like he didn't see what was in front of him, but the blood on Xander's face and on the body of Cimberius was too much for him to ignore.

Severus touched at his nose, dumbfounded. "Xander... why are you carrying the dead body of your poor friend... Cimberius?"

Xander paused, staring hard at Severus' blank face. He sometimes wondered if, behind the steely calm, Severus was actually worse than how he acted to him the time he was late for departure from Gerasa. He didn't know how he would react. But at this juncture, he didn't care.

Xander took a step towards the Emperor. "He was murdered... by the leader of the Praetorian Guard, Pulcher... I want revenge."

Severus gave a pitiful shake of his head. "They kill Pertinax, Laetus, and now one of my men."

Xander waited for a moment, hoping for a reaction, but Severus kept on polishing, deep in thought. Then he stopped. He scratched his head and considered Xander's face.

"What makes you think you can do this on your own?" he said.

"Cimberius told me before he died that you can't take Pulcher on your own. I would like to request some of your men to help me."

"Xander..." Severus said, suddenly agitated. He looked around at the empty walls and glanced at the dead body of Cimberius. "I don't know, Xander. I really don't know. What makes you think I can give you leadership of my men? Considering you are a known liar and fool to me..."

Xander waited, hoping for once for some sign of disapproval or anger, but Severus just stared back with his dark eyes.

"I can deal with the Praetorian Guard myself," Severus said.

"They're out of control, Emperor. My friend went there just to try to calm him down, and he was killed. Imagine what would happen to your men if they went down there."

"Do you know for sure who did this?"

"Cimberius drafted up a list of those responsible for many deaths... including Pertinax," Xander said, almost wincing at his lie about Pertinax.

"And do you have it with you?"

"It's at his grandfather's home," he said calmly. "Whatever your worries towards me leading, keep in mind I have lost a woman, a child, and my best friend because of this man."

Severus watched Xander lay Cimberius' body on the ground and rub his forehead with his palm. He had never seen anything quite so spontaneous from any man, and for a moment he was unable to answer. He watched with interest as Xander closed his eyes, a look of something like pain and loss of hope seeming to flicker behind his blank features. Then he knew the answer to Xander's request.

"If I am to allow a quota of men for you to take with you," Severus said. When Xander didn't answer, he went on: "Make sure as hell you get rid of every one who was responsible for Pertinax's murder." He looked down at Cimberius. "And your friend's."

Xander stepped back from Severus, nodding his head.

"I will do whatever you ask."

Severus turned and looked into Xander's face.

"I don't know where this bravery has come from, Xander," he said. "I suspect... I suspect loss has brought you to this moment. My loss of my friend Laetus by the Praetorian Guard and of a good friend Pertinax... made me feel the same way. But I am Emperor... and you are a soldier. You are in a better position than I to risk your life for revenge. I will grant you five other men. Take out the conspirators of Pertinax's death and your friend's... and you will be frowned upon no more."


	25. Not the Fool

It was almost dark when Xander returned to Paulus' home.

Closing the door behind him, he leaned against it, letting out a ragged sigh. He couldn't wait to climb into bed and close his eyes. The day had left him physically and mentally wounded.

He clutched his stomach, feeling an ache in his heart. He gritted his teeth, trying to bite back the pain as he headed for the living room.

He was at the dining room table when he noticed the fire in the fireplace and the laughter echoing along the walls. It was something soft, peaceful-sounding.

Buffy and Paulus were sitting in front of the fire.

"Guys," Xander said in a flat tone. "I want to know where the list Cimberius made for me is."

Buffy rose, walked toward Xander. When she got closer, she widened her arms.

Xander breathed slowly, reluctantly accepting Buffy's hug.

"I was so worried about you!" Buffy squealed, holding Xander tightly.

He hadn't realized until just then how alone he'd felt all day, how much he'd missed his friend Cimberius. All day, he had trouble letting go of his death.

"Hey, Xand, where's Cimberius?"

"Uh..." Xander began, finally drawing back. He felt foolish; the truth he should give her was held captive to his nerves.

"I swear if anything happened to him..."

It was Paulus who'd spoken.

Xander closed his eyes for just a moment as a wave of sadness moved through him. He didn't know if he could talk about Cimberius anymore.

But he had no choice.

"He's dead."

Buffy took his hand, squeezed it. Her touch helped. Together, holding hands, they went to the couch and sat down.

Paulus remained sitting on the floor. He was tilted forward, with his legs crossed and wearing an empty expression. Long blonde hair fell across part of his face. In the firelight, his eyes looked impossibly teary.

Xander felt crushed by those eyes. He shifted uncomfortably on the sofa.

"He might have done the wrong thing," Paulus said, his voice surprisingly calm, "but what Cimberius did was more important than that. He proved to me that he wasn't a boy anymore."

Xander smiled. "He quit being a boy the minute he left the Praetorian Guard."

"No. You cannot run away from your problems. That is what cowards do." Paulus sighed. "Cimberius... he... went back. I think it was foolish, but I'm glad to know he died a man."

Xander hadn't expected that. "I thought you considered him a boy."

"I did," Paulus said in a tight voice. "Too much in the past, probably. Not anymore."

"He was killed by Pulcher?" Buffy looked from Paulus to Xander. "How? ... I mean- Pulcher, again?" It came to her all at once. "The husky man. The man who led the murders of Acacia and Illeana."

"Yes," Xander said.

"I can't believe he killed another person that we know. I can't believe it! I mean... I hate him. I want to kill him."

Xander touched Buffy's face. "I know you do. So do I."

"Want." Paulus interrupted. "There is a fine line between want and actually doing what you want. That I'm sure of. If you are content wanting to kill Pulcher, but not actually doing it, then that by definition, is a coward."

"But he has killed three people we know already. Odds are he would kill us too," Buffy said.

Xander's smile was as gentle as his touch had been. "Cimberius' last words to me included a warning that Pulcher had too many men. The only way we can kill him is to get more men on our side."

"That wouldn't be easy," Paulus said, wiping his eyes. "Where would you get the power to go after the Praetorian Guard?"

"The Emperor," Xander replied.

A silence followed that statement. It was broken only by a shower of hissing sparks in the fireplace.

"I think you are disillusioned. The Emperor would never allow you to take on the Praetorian Guard," Paulus said at last.

"He already did."

Xander lifted his head with a start a short time later and looked into a mirror in puzzlement. Candles flickered around him. A few drops of tears trickled down his face and he remembered where he was- in the bedroom where Cimberius had first showed him and Buffy to stay. Breathing deeply to quell a sense of uneasiness, he finally relaxed, ran a hand through his dry hair, and stood up.

He glanced around. Buffy and Paulus were looking for the list Cimberius drafted that morning, although he had a feeling that the list was in the room he was standing in. Perhaps they knew where it was, Xander thought. Sniffing and turning his head, he stared through the open doorway and into the hall.

His stomach felt numb inside and out. There was nothing left in him.

Xander still remembered the sound of Cimberius' groans, the feeling of his tangy, splattered blood, and the smell of all those fires that burned inside the Praetorian Guard camp. He had tried, tried to go along with Cimberius, as much as he wanted, to face the coming horrors that he knew lay in store for his friend. Cimberius had listened but was too determined and stubborn to be accompanied on his mission. Part of Cimberius' attitude to go it alone reminded Xander of Cimberius confronting him and Buffy at the Baths of Titus. However, the memory of Cimberius' mortally wounded body consistently burned in his brain. It was seared into his soul. Another person, another person he'd failed, one more indentation of his soul, one more name for the growing list of the dead.

Life itself to Xander seemed unimportant compared to all those horrible memories and a short list of names of people he felt he had indirectly caused to die.

He lasted as long as he could have imagined. He fought to adapt in the Roman lifestyle as long and hard as he could. He no longer had the strength to try to fit in anymore. He was now saving whatever strength he had to confront Pulcher; because that would give him needed motivation from the physical strains of feeling he was weaker than Pulcher and with the mental demons of not avenging Acacia, Illeana's and Cimberius' deaths. It wasn't until Cimberius stopped breathing in his arms earlier that day that he realized that everything he'd done, beginning from his imprisonment to his friend's death had prepared him to do what was clear and present in his mind. Revenge.

Pulcher rubbed his eyes, still filled with dried tears, still smelling the smoke from the funeral pyre of his closest and most trusted friend, Tullia. He was sitting inside his chamber, reviewing the history of the new Emperor, Septimius Severus. He tried to focus on one of the scrolls in the candlelight but his mind wouldn't let go of the memory of Tullia's slit neck earlier that day. He tried again to study Severus' governorships of Upper Pannonia and Sicily. There had to be something concrete on Severus; some bills, some reforms that he could find to shed some light on his character. Pulcher knew there was always vital information about public figures hidden in the scrolls. He had already given the task to his men earlier and they had come up empty-handed. He vowed not to make that mistake again.

But what was he going to do if he found something sinister about Severus? He refused to believe that the Emperor would put him or others on trial for the murder of Pertinax, since he felt his men had done Severus a favor by eliminating Julianus. He still believed that Severus could be an important ally.

It was with relief that he was interrupted by footsteps approaching the chamber. His relief soon turned to bitterness when he heard a distinctive grunt from Antistius.

"Come in, Antistius." The soldier entered and knelt before him. Pulcher smirked and stood up from his chair. "Get up."

Antistius obeyed and looked up to face the person before him. "I want to apologize again about two days ago. I lost control of myself and there was no excuse for how I behaved."

"There are things you need to understand about Rome, Antistius," Pulcher said seriously. "I know you know this as well, since you raped and murdered a young girl yourself... But you must know that life is unfair. There is no justice."

"I feared for my life when news of Julianus' assassination came. I kept thinking... He was our puppet. Without him, we will become the puppet for Severus," Antistius continued. He sat down on a bed beside them and waited for Pulcher to tell him some more. He noticed Pulcher's uncharacteristic hesitation.

"You wanted to have... justice for Julianus' death. Justice is merely a point of view in this city. You have to learn to swallow whatever happens and move on. Let history decide what can decide justice." He could see the sadness in Antistius' eyes. "I know you're probably wondering why I haven't talked to you lately, but I don't have a legitimate answer. Inside, I guess... I don't forgive easily."

Antistius nodded, trying hard not to show the emotional strain it had caused him.

"With Tullia dead, I'll make you second in command."

Antistius was shocked. He looked up and swallowed. "Really?"

Pulcher spoke in a low voice. "Nobody can replace Tullia. But other than what happened a few days ago, you are the most loyal soldier I have. I want you to take off where Tullia finished in assembling soldiers to research Severus."

Antistius glanced at the scrolls on Pulcher's desk. He hesitated before saying, "Isn't that what you are doing?"

Pulcher lowered his head and spoke earnestly, "I need to rest today."

Antistius couldn't look at Pulcher's sad face. "I understand. Want me to look over the scrolls?"

Pulcher looked at Antistius, his face like stone. "Sure. Find something I can use to protect ourselves from Severus. A mistake or a political action so we know what will happen in the future."

Antistius felt he'd been told that enough times, especially by Tullia days ago. He simply nodded and walked past Pulcher.

Xander slowly surveyed the living room in front of him. In the past, he had stood up to the bullies, the makings of his character and who he was. He had met every problem head on and surpassed any of his friends aside from Buffy in the ability to confront his or her problems. He was perhaps more justified to confront Pulcher than Cimberius was. While Cimberius' hatred towards Pulcher was more character-driven, Xander had an angered, more emotional attachment to Pulcher for his involvement in the murders of Acacia and Illeana. Up until this point, no person had ever prevented Xander from facing his demons. He wasn't going to let it happen now.

Xander crossed his arms, and before long, he heard footsteps speedily coming into the room. He turned to face Buffy, who was holding on to Cimberius' list firmly with her right hand. "Okay, Xander I have to ask you something first. No lies or exaggerations. Just tell me the truth. Understand?"

There was silence.

Buffy took his hand in her free hand and squeezed it. "You're not going to put yourself in danger, are you Xander? Do you hear what I'm saying? We've already lost Cimberius. The more reckless you get the more chance you get you will get hurt."

Xander looked away in disappointment.

"Do you want to know why Cimberius was killed? It's because of this kind of thing. Relax, Xander, please."

"I'm not going to bring any weapons," Xander explained, already realizing Buffy had an idea what he was going to do. He tried to remove his hand from Buffy's grip but it didn't loosen. "Please, Buffy, let me go. I have to do this."

"Do what?"

"I want to see what kind of man Pulcher is."

Buffy could see him trying to struggle with his emotions. She tried to get him to sit back down on the sofa as she did before. This time, he didn't move.

Buffy swallowed angrily as heat flooded her cheeks. I hate being the damsel in distress, she fumed silently. She turned away from him for a moment to compose herself, and then treated him to an icy glare. "How is it after your good friend dies going after Pulcher blindly, you go back and do the same thing?" Buffy smiled bitterly, shaking her head. "You always longed to be a martyr, didn't you?"

Xander blinked. For the first time in a while, both of them did not feel a connection. Silence filled the room once again, neither knowing quite what to say. Xander looked at the carpet below him, then at the windows on the sides, the front door, anywhere but Buffy.

Buffy watched him, amused at his obvious discomfort. There's no way I'm letting him kill himself, she thought snidely. She loved him too much to let that happen. Buffy rolled her eyes and swallowed back tears. "What's your problem, Xander? Why are you becoming Rambo all of a sudden?"

Xander forced himself to meet her saddened gaze. It unsettled him that her gorgeous green eyes made his knees weak and rendered him defenseless against whatever he thought he needed to do. "I will go to the camp, unarmed, and I will return unharmed. It's that simple, Buffy."

Buffy released her hand from Xander's and used it to hastily fold the list in her other hand. Then she defiantly shoved the list into her pocket. "I'm coming with you."

Xander groaned. He was tired, very sore from carrying Cimberius' body, and feeling the need to get everything done as soon as possible. Buffy was right, he concluded, he was indeed being too belligerent about seeing Pulcher. Suddenly, he found no reason to even argue with her. He truly didn't want Buffy to come with him, to insure her safety over his own, not after everything that had happened. But he had played the hero role long enough, Xander realized.

"Buffy, I'm sorry," he said. "It was just that I know it was Pulcher's scheme all along to capture us both. If I went it alone, he could have let me go. But now if we're both together when we see him, he will succeed."

Buffy, realizing that somehow she had done the wrong thing, tucked her hands into her jean pockets, feeling the list, and stared at the floor. "We don't have to..."

Xander mentally kicked himself. "No, we certainly have to. It's about time we have something to say about this Pulcher guy, don't you think?"

Buffy's eyes lit up. "Yeah."

As the pain building up in his head began to subside, Xander nodded, seemingly satisfied with the outcome. "I-I didn't mean to hurt you, Buffy."

Buffy blinked back guilty tears. She knew, from that day inside the scaffold when he had held her in his arms after her painful hanging, that she could never stop caring for him, regardless of what had just happened between them. She shook her head, his adoring smile piercing her heart. "Xander, it was nothing. Please, let's just forget this ever happened."

Xander gave her a sympathetic smile, all the while cursing himself inside for allowing the situation to ever happen in the first place. "Guess we'll find out what we're up against, huh?"  
Buffy groaned impatiently. "I want to give Pulcher an earful. Let's go."

Xander watched Buffy scurry from the room like a schoolgirl heading off to recess. He frowned. He couldn't put his finger on it, but Buffy was not herself. Then again, he wondered, nobody was quite themselves at this juncture. Including him.

When Cato finally came into Cornelius' home, Willow was sitting on the stairs.

Willow was depressed and was staring urgently into his face. Cato was hesitating what to do.

"You are still uncomfortable about what I am aren't you?" Willow asked weakly.

"I didn't know you'd be waiting here," Cato said softly.

He felt exactly as if a train had struck him when Willow first told him she was a lesbian days before, but inside he understood the shock was a product of Roman society's views for traditionalism and regressive thinking. He still liked Willow and greatly respected her knowledgeable attitude towards the Empire.

"One night, Xander's mother left the house and it was just Xander and I by ourselves," Willow began. "That was when we were eight or nine. I remember starting to have a deep crush on him from that day on that lasted until his one night stand with Faith, but that's another matter... I know he did something that made me like him... His looks helped, but he did something I can't remember..."

"How come you didn't tell me you liked men before?"

A few seconds later, drifting in her thoughts, Willow murmured a deep truth, "At the time, I never liked guys. I thought they had cooties and germs. Bleh! But now I remember... Xander, he gave me a hug that day and a kiss on the cheek. He made me open up to guys."

Cato placed the bag of clothes in his hands on the floor and looked for anyone else who was in the house.

"They all went to take a walk. I stayed here just in case you came," Willow said, as if she had something in her throat.

"They're not angry at me, are they?"

Willow laughed. "My friends, Dawn and Brittany, are more angry at me than you. They think I shouldn't have told you."

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I've been better," Willow sniffed, who was still reminiscing about that day as a child with Xander. "I didn't ask to be a lesbian, you know. I was just like everyone else when I was young... I liked boys. It's just something that happened. Something inside me that didn't surface up until I was older..."

After a moment of hesitation, Cato sat beside Willow on the steps, his head in his hands. Then he spoke.

"I have no problem with who you are, Willow. In retrospect, I think I rushed to an immature judgement in running away. I didn't leave because of you anyway, Willow."

"Why did you leave?"

"I was scared and frightened of you and your friends. When you told me you were from the 21st century, and that you knew about Septimius Severus, it was a bit hard to swallow. I planned on having some time to think about that, but when you told me you were a lesbian shortly after, I guess I made sure to hurry up and make sure I had the time to relax."

There was a thoughtful silence.

"Honestly, you handled everything that you heard pretty well, considering," Willow said.

"Thanks." Cato raised his head and looked sorrowfully into her eyes. "Do you have feelings for Xander? Like Buffy?"

Willow met Cato's gaze without wavering. "I used to. I guess I care more about him than Buffy... Does that mean I have feelings for him? Yes. Sexual feelings? I don't know."

"Let me be straightforward with you. I saw Xander and Buffy kissing when they came to my home. It seemed like a passionate affair."

Willow suddenly felt sick. Buffy and Xander kissing! It was something out of a nightmare, Willow thought. She felt more sick than she had minutes before and if there were anything that could possibly torture her more at the moment, it was the idea of Buffy and Xander as a couple. She began to feel more pain for Brittany than herself.

"You guys look like someone had just died," Brittany said, coming through the door.

"No, we're okay," Willow said, reacting quickly to her entrance.

Brittany sighed. "You missed a beautiful city, Willow. I think the scenery I saw would surpass the sensation I would feel when I'm with Xander, if you ask me."

She was right, Willow thought. She just didn't know it yet.

Buffy and Xander stood in the growing darkness outside the Praetorian Guard Camp.

The exterior of the camp was oddly deserted. Xander looked at Buffy, tilting his head, not sure of how she was feeling.

Buffy flashed Xander a weak smile. "Are you nervous?"

"There were two guards here earlier today. They're not here," Xander said, pointing his index finger at the gate.

Buffy looked at the cursive and stylized writing on the list in her hands, then gently folded the list as her eyes rose to Xander's once more. "And you still want to go in?"

"Not really," he said, turning to face Buffy. "But if we came this far..."

Buffy strayed her tired eyes from Xander. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Xander observed the dimensions of the gate. "I don't know if I should knock or shake this thing.."

"Knocking would come off better," Buffy dryly returned. She moved across the dirt to a side of the gate and stopped.

After a long silence, Xander looked at her and Buffy checked Cimberius' list.

"I really don't want to do this," Xander said.

Buffy looked at him with steady green eyes. She recalled what Xander had explained to her and Paulus about how the Emperor granted him power to go after the Praetorian Guard. Buffy's lips went very tight and she shook her head. "There must be a legitimate reason we're both risking our lives to do this..."

Xander took a deep breath and stood back from the gate. "I want to know if I should go after these men," he said, glancing at Buffy. "Some of the murderers could have a conscience." He'd thought the reason over a thousand times since the second Cimberius died, hadn't realized it was so little, would be over so quickly.

Buffy wondered how Xander could allow himself to be generous to the murderers of Acacia and Illeana. "They killed an innocent mother and child, Xander. They don't have a conscience to begin with!"

Xander looked down.

"Do you want me to agree with what you're doing?" Buffy asked.

"Yes."

Xander could see her looking long and hard at him, but Xander thought he saw the fight going out of her. "Xander... I love you. I could've let you go by yourself, but I didn't. I came here because I care about you and I don't want you hurt. I'll go in there... even though I disagree with why you're going... because I love you so much."

Xander nodded but didn't look at her. "Thank-thank you, Buffy."

Buffy grinned. "Your welcome, Xander."

Xander rocked back on his heels, anxious to break the awkwardness between him and Buffy. "Well here goes nothing."

He took a few steps forward and began banging on the steel gate, his huge fist nearly dislodging it from its frame.

"Open up!" he called, lifting his head up. "You may need my advice before Severus comes to visit here!" He hit the unbreakable steel again with a resounding thump that made the gate lean into the camp.

Finally, the gate opened with a crack, and a dirty face of a soldier appeared.

"If you're coming to see our leader, Pulcher, I'm sorry to advise you that he is not in the mood," the soldier said.

"Even if I come with an order from Severus?" Xander asked.

The soldier gave a cry and fell back, trying to close the gate tight, but Xander's heavy fist knocked it open. He and Buffy strode immediately into the open inside the Praetorian Guard Camp.

"You come here for death! You want revenge on the Praetorian Guard!" the soldier yelled.

"Do I look like I came here for revenge?" Xander asked, holding his hands high in the air.

"So the order! What is on the order!" the soldier shrieked. "I will kill you both myself if you don't tell me." The soldier placed his trembling hand on his sword attached to his belt.

Xander looked back at Buffy, who nodded for him to proceed.

"You better tell me!" the soldier continued, his voice rising with obvious terror.

Xander clenched his right fist together and punched his fist hard into the soldier's face, then moved back.

Buffy and Xander watched in amusement as the soldier fell to the ground.

"He was rather uptight," Xander remarked, as much to himself as to Buffy.

"They are clearly worried about the new Emperor," Buffy quickly added as she inspected the camp, and how the structures of the camp paled beside the marvels of the Colosseum or the numerous man-made marble structures outside the camp.

A soldier from the building adjacent to them, rushed out and roughly pushed Xander and Buffy back from the wounded soldier, both of them stumbling backwards, but maintaining their balance. Most of the nearby soldiers laughed at the scene, though a couple of men hurried to block Xander and Buffy from leaving.

Xander noticed the two soldiers lining up behind him and laughed. "We came on our own accord," Xander said loudly so the soldiers could hear him. "I have urgent news from the Emperor, Septimius Severus."

The silence hung in the air as the soldier tending to the unconscious soldier, looked up to Buffy and Xander.

"What are your names?" the soldier asked.

Buffy swallowed hard.

"Where is Pulcher?" Xander countered.

"He is asleep," the soldier said. "You can tell us... We will give him the message."

"This is more of a message that needs to be delivered to him, personally," Xander reasoned, and he turned towards the other soldiers as he spoke. All of the soldiers' eyes were fixated on him. He turned to Buffy. "Can I see the list?"

Panic coursed through Buffy and she licked her lips and glanced all around. "You should do this behind closed doors," she said. "I don't want you to anger them all."

"What are you saying?" the soldier demanded, and he leaped to his feet and moved to tower over the jittery couple. Xander stood strong, staring him down. The soldiers came forward suddenly, interposing themselves around Xander and Buffy.

"You can search me. I have no weapons," Xander said, stepping forward with his arms raised, giving the soldiers access to him. "Perhaps you should wake Pulcher before doing anything stupid."

On a nod from one of the soldiers to another, a soldier reached for Buffy, who roughly shrugged them away.

Sensing something was going to happen, Buffy slipped Xander the list. "I'll see you after all this is done."

Xander's eyes widened, startled by what Buffy had said. "Buff, I-"

"Come on guys, I know you want me," Buffy said, urging the soldiers on. She started to take a bold step forward, but before she could move, a butt of a sword slammed her hard in her side. In one moment, she was moving for Xander, the next, she was staring at Xander's sandals.

"You savages!" Xander cried with a growl, staring hard at the assailant and the soldiers surrounding Buffy. "She is innocent. She did nothing wrong to you!"

A solid right punch from a soldier to Xander sent him staggering backward, tumbling to his knees.  
"What is your names?" the same soldier repeated, standing above Xander.

Xander stirred and groaned and pulled himself up to his feet and shook his head. "Not until I see Pulcher."

The soldier growled. He looked over Xander's shoulders to the crowds of soldiers carrying the relaxed body of Buffy in their arms. "Do not rape her! Keep her in isolation!" The soldier's eyes then fell to Xander's. "You want to see Pulcher?"

Xander gave him a weak, painful nod.

The soldier viciously pushed Xander in front of him. "Lead the way."

The soldier directed Xander through a short corridor that took them into the warm, inner chambers of the complex, where concrete walls were mostly covered by colorful tapestries of soldiers and great battles, and sculptures of Emperors highlighted every hallway. The two soon found themselves before a man in bed, a brawny, physically beaten man with curly brown hair and the eyes the color of a dark, clouded blue.

"Good evening, Pulcher," the soldier said with a bow. "A messenger has come with news from Septimius Severus."

"Yes, yes," Pulcher said, yawning. "Where is this messenger?"

The soldier looked up, smiling widely at Pulcher. "He refused to give me his name, sir. He said only upon meeting you, he'd reveal it."

"A stubborn son of a bitch I see," Pulcher said groggily, tilting his head to regard Xander with squinted eyes. "Come forward." Pulcher glanced at the soldier. "Tarquin, leave us."

"Yes, Pulcher," Tarquin said. He gave Xander a hateful glare as he left, so he didn't see Pulcher widen his eyes in shock at the person he thought was standing before him.

"Y-you!" Pulcher looked at Tarquin for support but he had just closed the door on his way out.

Xander wasn't able to look Pulcher in the face without thinking about all the terrible things the Praetorian Guard leader had done. Struggling to take his mind away from the many deaths Pulcher had caused he heaved out a sigh, even as Pulcher got to his feet and approached him until they were inches apart. "Xander?" Pulcher smiled, scanning his face with his eyes. After a few moments, Pulcher nodded in recognition of who he was. "Xander... where is your lover?"

Xander refused to answer the question.

"It is not necessary to lie in order to get to see me. I would have easily allowed a meeting."

Xander bit back a snarky comment that had come to his lips. He didn't want to indulge in games of taunting and verbal abuse with Pulcher. It was human nature to leave since Pulcher had a part in killing three people he loved. "Unfortunately, I have come here with a warning from Severus." Xander gave an indistinguishable shrug, then added. "This may sound unbelievable to you... but I am a soldier in his legion."

"You are a poor liar." Pulcher shook his head. "Severus would never bestow any power to you... a fugitive! This is simply too nonsensical to believe," Pulcher snorted. Before Xander could argue, he added in a whisper, "Don't even think about deceiving me, fool. I could kill you right now with my own hands if I wanted to." He was still focused on Xander's face.

Xander pivoted to meet Pulcher's intense glare in a slow, deliberate motion. He wouldn't look away again, he wouldn't flinch. "You killed Cimberius," he told him in a strained, unpleasant voice, "I was in Gerasa with him when Severus picked us up."

Gerasa was what Pulcher had heard Cimberius tell him before their fatal fight. It was difficult to grasp the truth that the man he had chased for weeks was training in Gerasa the whole time. A place he had purposely neglected since he never would have thought Xander would be a soldier. No matter what any of the objections he thought, he understood that Xander had to be with Cimberius in Gerasa, an isolated, military zone. He also knew Severus would have taken those men in Gerasa with him in his legion on his way to Rome. All of the presumptions agreed to show that Xander was telling the truth. It was vital to ponder all the possibilities.

Was Xander sent to kill him?

Was Xander someone that could save him and the Praetorian Guard?

There were many other such questions that crossed Pulcher's mind, none more prolific than the one at hand. "What is the warning?"

Xander willed a calmness to come over him, and looked down at his closed hand. He opened his hand, the crumpled list spreading on all edges like a blossoming flower. Xander straightened the list and lifted it to his face. He blinked. Pulcher had deliberately stepped aside, and let Xander tell him what was on the paper. Knowing this, it stood to reason that Pulcher had believed and trusted him.

"You... Arpineius, Antistius," he made himself read aloud from the list. He gave Pulcher a sharp, startled glance, and a shadow flickered in his hawklike gaze. "Severus wants you and the other men to be apologetic for their involvement in the murders of an innocent mother and daughter."

Pulcher raised an eyebrow, wondering why Pertinax was not mentioned first, considering he was a more important victim to the Praetorian Guard. "Mother and daughter?" Several seconds passed, and Pulcher nodded. "Ah, the woman and child from the household we captured you and your lover from." His eyes met Xander's. "No."

"Well, I-"

"This is not an issue that Severus would care about. It is an issue that you care about," Pulcher interrupted, pointing a finger at Xander. "You are no messenger!"

Xander heaved out another, loud sigh. He remembered Severus mentioning Pertinax and Laetus. Hopefully those names would insure his credibility. "You must show sympathy for your involvement in Pertinax and Laetus' murder as well."

Pulcher smirked, then remarked in a quiet tone, "That's what Severus wanted the message to be," he smiled, a thin, humorless smile that twisted the lines of his mouth, "For Laetus and Pertinax, I admit my wrongdoing. You can inform Severus that. But the first thing you brought up... with the mother and daughter, I do not apologize."

Xander winced, his usually clear brown eyes haunted. "Why? Why not apologize for them?"

"They were merely at the wrong place and time," Pulcher retorted at once, with implacable anger. "None of our men had a choice, when we are in the moment. It may not be right, it may even be cruel and horrific, but there is nothing that can get in our way of accomplishing our task- not even if it means killing women and children. I show no remorse for them or the countless others we've killed," Pulcher finished softly, "and neither do the other men you mentioned... Arpineius and Antistius. They do their job, regardless of what happens in the process."

A grimace of disgust twisted the lines of Xander's face. "You killed others!" he spat.

"You think what happened to those women was something random? I've participated in slaughters of wives and daughters of politicians in the past. What happened at that household was nothing compared to what I've done. That mother and daughter were nothing," Pulcher murmured.

For a moment, Xander stared back at Pulcher in silence. His brown eyes were wary and the expression on Xander's face was of incredible distaste. Had there been the faintest hint of sorrow in Pulcher's voice regarding Acacia and Illeana, Xander would not have snapped. Abruptly, he charged past Pulcher's bed to a halt a few feet away from Pulcher.

"Tell Arpineius and Antistius that I am here," Xander said at last, his voice strained. "Tell them I won't let anyone, including you, make those women's deaths meaningless." He drew in a deep breath. "There must be justice for them."

Laughter spilled from Pulcher's lips, brief, mocking sounds that he quickly stifled. Silence came back between them, which Pulcher allowed to grow. He'd wait. Xander wasn't done yet, and both of them knew it. "Even though I only knew Acacia and Illeana for a short time, the two women you allowed to be butchered... I loved them," Xander whispered at last. "You... took that away from me. Two people that did nothing to you and as you said, were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They didn't deserve to die."

"You are lucky that I will let you leave. Since you have an important message to give back to Severus, but I swear... next time I see you, you will be dead." Pulcher had allowed Xander to threaten him, and he did so aware of the possibility, of the threat Xander could represent. He, the sharpest and most brutal of all the Praetorian Guards, was not going to be intimidated however. "Leave."

Xander turned his head to the door, but didn't step back. "Can you allow Buffy to leave as well?" he asked.

"Buffy is here?" the question rushed past Pulcher's lips, unstoppable.

Xander turned his head and refocused on Pulcher. "She came with me. Your men took her as a prisoner here."

"Okay," Pulcher retorted without hesitation, absentmindedly knocking on the hard concrete wall of the chamber. He wanted to appease Septimius Severus as much as he could, especially since he felt Buffy and Xander were both known to Severus.

Tarquin opened the door and peeked in. "What is it, Pulcher?" he asked as politely as he could.

"Release Buffy," Pulcher ordered. He looked at Xander. "He can go as well."

Tarquin stood shocked as his gaze kept flitting between Pulcher and Xander. He muttered something under his breath, then spoke aloud, "Pulcher, perhaps we should keep them-" Tarquin began.

"For what? They are messengers from Severus. We don't want the Emperor angered, do we?" Pulcher quipped as he moved up to stand beside Xander.

His face turning bright red, Tarquin quickly moved out of sight and into the hallway.

"I'm not thinking too clearly these days," Pulcher said, looking from the door to Xander. "Everything is happening so quickly."

Xander frowned. "That's understandable."

Pulcher regarded him helplessly. "What kind of man is Severus? Describe him for me..."

"I barely know him."

"How does he treat you?"

Xander could tell by Pulcher's expression that he was desperate for any information about Severus. It occurred to Xander that if he told Pulcher anything about Severus, he would have to stay longer than he wanted, perhaps answering more questions from Severus.

"You have a good evening," Xander said, taking a few steps back.

Pulcher stood still next to the wall, looking so emotionless that Xander almost didn't turn for the door. When he did turn, Pulcher's emotionless face made Xander worry about Pulcher's unpredictability and what he might do.

Not surprisingly, he asked a question.

"Why don't you just move on from the past, Xander?"

Xander didn't stop to answer, and went through the open door. When he turned to the hallway, he could see that Pulcher was still standing in the same position, awaiting a response. Xander wondered how long it was since the last time Pulcher had a good time.

Xander moved into Pulcher's chamber and pulled the door shut.

Getting out into the long, narrow hallways, Xander followed the path from which he came. Shadows and stern soldiers met him as he passed through each corridor, as they did before- he could feel the blind rage from them, as if they all were going to hit him with a collective, physical blow. Teeth clenched, Xander hurried to leave the building before any of the soldiers grew restless of his presence.

When he reached outside, he found Buffy sitting on the dirt next to the opened gate. She was busy clutching her wounds with a hand on each shoulder. Realizing his presence as was her habit, she lifted her head and glanced at him. "Hey... How was it?"

Xander was taken off guard. "Huh? Oh. Pulcher said the murders of Acacia and Illeana were nothing. That his soldiers had no choice," Xander said bitterly. He walked to Buffy's side and began massaging her shoulders with his hands. "Come on let's go," he insisted. "We should leave this place as soon as possible."

She thought about what Xander had told her, then stood up and walked next to him through the open gate. Xander was concerned at her apparent injury to her shoulders and he leaned over to put his arm around her. But just before he did so, she spoke again, "I don't know whether to be happy or angry with you."

"What did they do to you?" Xander asked, leaning his head closer to inspect her body for wounds.

"They tied my hands to my back and tried to rape me."

Xander seemed puzzled. "They tried? You had your hands tied to your back."

"They didn't tie my legs," Buffy answered, with a cold look in her eyes. "I was hoping you would have been quicker than you were, but I'm fine."

"I'm sorry for bringing you into this. I should've known these men here would be sexual predators," Xander said, succeeding in securing his arm around her bruised shoulder. "Listen, Buffy, I know now that these men are thugs, not professionals. The Emperor basically put the whole issue of what to do with them on my shoulders, I can't sit around and do-"

"You did that to yourself, Xander. Not the Emperor," Buffy said distantly.

The two strolled through the long, cobblestone streets and Buffy kept pace with Xander, step for step. Xander wasn't at all certain he should have went to the camp in the first place-his action for a meeting with Pulcher nearly cost their lives. But they were saved on the lie that he had led Pulcher to believe, that the two were dependent and messengers to Septimius Severus. He realized now how lucky he and Buffy were to be alive.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said soothingly. "You should probably beat my ass for what I got you into."

"I wish I could... But I can barely move my arms," she said, showing him a pouting face.

Xander laughed, staring into her eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, beginning to blush.

"Who's looking at you?"

"Stop acting stupid," she said, laughing.

"Stop acting beautiful."

Buffy looked away in embarrassment. "So do you think Paulus is still waiting back home?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Do you want to be a part of the men to go after these guys?" he asked.

With Xander still holding her, Buffy weakly asked him, "Why are you doing this? I can't understand why you can't just let the Emperor serve justice to those men."

Xander was almost as puzzled as she was. "I feel sick everyday for what happened to Acacia and Illeana. And just today, for Cimberius. I don't want to prolong my pain and wait for justice to come for them. I don't know, I guess... I guess I want to get rid of the pain right away by going after them myself."

Tears were in Buffy's eyes. "I'll do it, Xander."

Xander was surprised. "You will? You don't have to, Buffy."

Anguished, Buffy protested, "I want to. After what those men did to me..."

Xander saw Buffy began to cry and he instinctively leaned his mouth to her ears. "Buffy... I'm sorry," he whispered softly.

Xander moved closer and used his hand to wipe the tears from her eyes, pulling her closer with his other hand. She gazed at him invitingly, and he moved to kiss her. He pressed his lips to hers in a lingering kiss of passion. When their kiss ended, the tears were gone from her eyes. "I love you," he said softly. "I couldn't live without you."

She smiled her familiar sexy smile. "That's why I'm going with you."

Xander's face grew tender and he kissed her gently on the forehead.

Searching through the old scrolls, Antistius found a bit of information painted with stars, circa March 193, and managed to write the information on a piece of paper. Severus' declaration in March was all he could give to Pulcher.

Sheepishly, he presented himself in Pulcher's chamber. His leader looked at him in chagrin, his arms folded, and had a look of speculation, as though trying to figure out what he'd been up to.

Pulcher chuckled bitterly. "So have you found anything?"

"I found this information, but I think it's nothing that we can use for us or against Severus."

Still chuckling, Pulcher took the note from Antistius' hands. He straightened in his chair and began to read the note aloud. "Following Pertinax's assassination, in Pannonia, Septimius Severus was proclaimed Emperor by his troops." Pulcher looked up to Antistius. "This is imperative, Antistius. I am ecstatic you found this small, but important peculiarity."

Antistius gave Pulcher a weak smile, who seemed to be thinking that he couldn't believe Pulcher thought it was important.

"As you can see, this shows that Septimius Severus illegally assumed Emperor after Pertinax died. He wasn't even in Rome when he did this," Pulcher explained, but he seemed to be hoping, more than certain.

Antistius sat at the end of Pulcher's bed. As soon as he sat down, Pulcher continued talking. "We can explain this to the Roman masses. If we get them on our side, Severus cannot touch us."

Frowning, Antistius interrupted. "Pulcher, Severus marched on the city of Rome to a delighted Roman populace. Perhaps we should just keep the note as a defense if he orders some of us to be tried for Pertinax's murder. It is bound to happen, since any Emperor wants to look good doing justice to a respected Emperor's assassination."

"You're right," Pulcher murmured, looking down at the note.

"What's this commotion that happened outside? Who came here?"

Pulcher leaned back in his chair. He felt sick in his stomach. "Buffy and Xander came here from Septimius Severus, delivering a message to me. The message was that I show an atonement for my involvement in Pertinax and Laetus' deaths. I did, so I think we'll be on good terms with Severus anyway..." Pulcher trailed off, and Antistius looked away. Antistius had devoted himself in too many activities and atrocities to capture Buffy and Xander to not let this affect him.

"So you let them go?" Antistius asked. "After all the days and weeks we spent hunting them down, they come right to us and you let them go."

Pulcher grimaced at the rudeness of Antistius' words, but he kept his calm. "Our lives are at stake, here, Antistius," he said. "Shall I kill two messengers from Severus and ensure a death sentence to us all? I know you most of all would have agreed with my decision."

"Messengers? How can you believe such a lie?" Antistius asked.

"Trust me, Antistius. Xander knew things... things like he knew Cimberius was killed and that he was in Gerasa when Severus picked them up. I know that Severus did go to Gerasa and assemble men there. It made sense to me that Severus would use some of the men there as messengers..."

"But they are a danger!" Antistius cried as he stood up from the bed.

"A danger? They would not be able to go through our gate unless someone let them in. We also have over a hundred men stationed here. What could they do?"

"We killed that family. The mother and daughter," Antistius said.

"Yes, we did." Pulcher stood from his chair to restrain Antistius from leaving indifferent. "They both are upset about it I'm sure. Xander himself threatened me because I did not apologize for their deaths. But they have no means of becoming a danger to us."

Antistius paused to think for a moment, then added, "If they are messengers to the Emperor, don't you think they would mention their murders to Severus?"

"Severus doesn't care about that bitch and child," Pulcher said swiftly. "He doesn't know them. And I know from reading through the scrolls that he is not a compassionate person."

"Okay, what you said makes me a little more comfortable," Antistius said, sitting himself back onto the bed. "But they are fugitives, as you said. They must be punished."

For a moment no one spoke. What Antistius said was true to Pulcher.

"I think a less extravagant death would do nicely," Pulcher said.

Antistius smiled at Pulcher and he knew what the Praetorian Guard leader was thinking. They would use poison to kill them, away from the public's watchful eye.

"I find that for now, we should only worry about Xander," Pulcher said, his eyes boring so hotly into Antistius' that for a moment he thought he might be going to do the murder that night.

Antistius cleared his throat. "When should it be done?"

"Cimberius seemed to be a good friend of Xander's," Pulcher said, walking over to Antistius to place a hand on his shoulder. "Find out when Cimberius' funeral is and I'm sure you can have access to what Xander drinks."

Smiling broadly, Antistius was pleased with the idea. He had everything figured out in his head.

The next morning, Cato went through Cornelius' house with Willow following on his heels. Although a little shaky and tired, he was feeling better. He really wanted to get ready for the ceremony that night and it was a relief to know he would have a reason to leave the house.

"So, you know this soldier... Cimberius?" Willow asked Cato as they made their way through the kitchen to the living room, where most of the clothes were kept.

"Not really... I know his grandfather, Paulus. He was a popular banker."

"That's interesting," Willow said. "How did you find out about the funeral?"

"Last night when I went outside, a passerby informed me from the road. He told me Cimberius was a Praetorian Guard member, so that explains the reason for his popularity," Cato said.

Willow looked at Cato with a furrowed brow, then looked away. "Um," she said, a little hesitantly. "Don't you think it's wrong to go to his funeral if you didn't even know him?"

"Paulus was a good friend of mine," Cato replied with a wide grin. "He told me countless stories about his grandchildren, especially Cimberius. So in that way, I know Cimberius."

Cornelius, who was already in the living room, snorted with laughter.

"Cato, you are not seriously contemplating going to that funeral are you?" Cornelius asked.

Willow and Cornelius both looked at Cato, who was staring intently at Cornelius.

"Cornelius, there will be no argument over this. I've decided to go and that's it."

Willow nodded, a thoughtful look on her face.

"I'm sure he'll return right after," Willow said to Cornelius.

"I'm not totally convinced he will, Willow. Especially after what happened before. He was gone three days. I'm worried he'll do something to himself too," Cornelius said.

"Would you mind if I went with Cato?" Willow suggested.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Make sure he doesn't do anything foolish."

"I'll be fine," Cato said confidently. He turned to Willow, who was obviously fighting to stay awake. "Go back to sleep, Willow. Let me change and I'll go back to my room." Willow smiled at Cato and left the room.

"Did you sleep with her?" Cornelius asked his friend.

"Yes," Cato admitted, his face turning red. "She was having a fight with her friends so she slept in my room."

"Nothing sexual, right?"

Cato sighed and took the opportunity to change into clean clothes as Cornelius awaited an answer. When he had his clothes on, Cato could feel Cornelius' gaze. He glanced up at Cornelius. "What? No. She's a lesbian."

Cornelius' jaw dropped.


	26. Unleash the Dragon

Xander was not at all sure he enjoyed being awakened by a noisy chirping of birds before the sun showed its face above the horizon. Even so, he shot to full awareness by the disharmony of sounds that went on beyond Paulus' house. It became evident to him that he could not go back to sleep with such a fracas going on, and he decided to venture outside and begin to prepare for what he knew would be an interminably, bitter day.

After pulling on a pair of pants, he threw on his plain, white undershirt and then jerked on a pair of boots. He found his way downstairs, unlatched the back door and stepped out onto the back porch. A hawk passing across his line of vision fluttered its wings almost arrogantly in comparison to the smaller hawk that gave chase close behind it, no doubt seeking reciprocation for some anonymous offense. Xander realized they might have been the reason for part of the noisy discord that had woken him up.

The branches of the oak trees dipped and swayed in the background. The sky was overcast, a flash of lightning illuminating for a moment the forest in front of him.

Xander watched the sky, a weighty sense of unease sitting like rancid food in his stomach. The storm gradually cast a bizarre, orangish light over the forest. He knew the sun had made its presence known and had peeked itself around the clouds.

He looked out toward the forest, his arms crossed. His face was half lit by the sun's illumination, the leaves throwing scattered shadows along the walls behind him.

Buffy emerged onto the porch. She was dressed in a gown of bluish silk, of such texture and luxurious design that she wondered how Paulus could have afforded such an extravagant garment.

"Xander," she murmured.

She caught Xander's eye but could not tell what he was thinking. "You're up pretty early," she said carefully.

"I must leave for Palatine Hill," he said.

She said nothing. She had been expecting he'd leave early, but was frightened for him, and herself. "Is it for Cimberius' funeral?"

"I left his body there with a friend of mine in the legion. He could have moved it somewhere." He stopped, turning to frown at her. "Yes, his funeral is taking place there."

"What about Pulcher and the Praetorian Guard?"

Xander smiled grimly. "I'll deal with them once I have gathered enough men."

Buffy gaped at him. She felt her help alone with Xander's was enough to deal with Pulcher and his men. "That hurts me Xander that you feel you and I aren't enough to stop them..."

"I did not say it to hurt you, Buffy. But it is the truth. Pulcher is a smart, strong man. You have the strength of a hundred of him, but you need numbers to get rid of him. Cimberius' last words before he died confirmed that truth. We need more men. Two will not do."

"I hope this ends soon," she heard herself say.

"It is not going to end soon, sweetie," he said to her, his voice suddenly gloomy. "If you wish to go after members of the Praetorian Guard, you have to be calculated... prepared." He unfolded his arms, looking up at the sky again. "Cimberius wanted to end it soon and look where he ended up."

Buffy stared vacantly into the sky. Both Xander and Cimberius' horses could be heard restlessly stamping outside. She was tempted to ask to accompany him.

But Xander turned then and walked away from the porch, into the house, leaving a silenced Buffy.

Duratius led the way as him and Xander stepped into the cool of the Imperial Palace's foyer. There was no sound from anywhere in the palace, above or below.

"Where's Cimberius?" Xander asked. Duratius led him into another room. "This is something I need to know."

"He's in good hands," Duratius piped up.

"Good," Xander said with a smile. "I was so nervous that the wrong person would have him."

"Everything is set for tonight," Duratius said. "I heard there would be a big crowd."

Xander smiled and shook his head. "He wouldn't have wanted that."

"Cimberius wouldn't have wanted many people mourning him at his funeral?"

"They're only mourning him because of his service to the Empire. He wasn't proud of serving the Empire. He told me himself."

"No, I heard they are mourning him because people believe he was a favorite of Caesar's."

"Duratius, don't discuss politics with me, please," Xander said sternly. Both men shared a look.

"This is a clever move by Caesar, Xander. Why not discuss it?"

"What move?" Xander asked, placing his hands firmly on his hips.

"Caesar is making your friend's death an example of the Praetorian Guard's depravity against Imperial Rome."

"Oh, god," Xander sighed. "Why would he do such a thing, Duratius? He must have no conscience at all. Why would he take advantage of the death of such a great man?"

"Caesar said you told him the Praetorian Guard leader killed him," Duratius said.

"Yes, but I didn't expect him to use his death to help him politically! The disgraceful bastard seemed so sympathetic."

"It's all right, my brother. This is politics. I'm sure he was sympathetic to what happened. Politics tends to override morality sometimes."

Xander would not look at him. In the long silence that followed, he furiously rubbed the tears from his eyes.

"I shouldn't have told you about these matters," Duratius said gently. "About the Emperor's position. It's my fault. I expected you knew the harsh realities of Roman politics."

Duratius could see in Xander's face how unbearable this was to him, to have his good friend's death used to help the Emperor's popularity.

"Please," Xander mumbled, as Duratius opened his mouth to continue. "Please don't talk about this anymore."

"I wish I hadn't brought it up at all, Xander," Duratius said.

Xander thought for a moment about confronting the Emperor, telling him how he felt, and giving him hell. But he knew he would be in a life-threatening situation if he displeased the Emperor. He had heard of cruel Emperors, what they did to those who dissatisfied them, like Caligula or Nero from European history class, and there was no telling where Severus' conscious dwelled.

"I'll let you rest here," Duratius announced, "and then come out feeling better. I do not want you to show your frustration to anyone about the Emperor. Not anyone. You understand?"

"All right," he said softly.

Xander looked around the room, trying to take his mind off Severus, then turned to Duratius, gesturing him with his head to come back into the room before he would leave.

"What is it?" Duratius asked.

"I don't suppose you'd be interested in going after the Praetorian Guard?"

"Are you asking me to join you in something?"

Xander did not hide his eagerness. "You have the toughness and the potency for destruction that I am looking for. You are what I need, Duratius."

"Surely you don't plan on going after the Praetorian Guard without the Emperor's help."

"He already allowed me to go against the Praetorian Guard with five other men." Xander stopped to count the people that he had with him, including Buffy and Duratius. "If you join, I wonder if you could get two other men to join as well."

"I have no contempt towards the Praetorian Guard. They have not done anything to me."

Xander gave Duratius a long, thoughtful study. "There would be rewards."

"What kind of rewards?"

A smile crept across Xander's face. "Women."

Duratius smiled uneasily, his thoughts surfacing the unpleasant memory of his wife, Antonia. He turned his attention to Xander. "Why risk my life for more women when the Emperor can give me any concubine that I want?"

"Can he? You and how many other soldiers in his legions?" Xander countered, recognizing Duratius' logic to be misconstrued.

Duratius seemed to realize Xander had a point. He became almost apologetic. "I appreciate the offer, Xander. But... give me some time to think about it."

Xander accepted the decision satisfyingly. "Remember the rewards," he reminded him, further enforcing his tactic to lure Duratius in.

Xander watched Duratius turn and head to leave the two-bedroom space. He had a strong feeling that once Duratius realized his ordinary state as a soldier in Severus' legion, he would be disappointed and recall what Xander had told him. Ultimately, Xander could see Duratius as an intrinsic component to his group.

Xander's initial anger with Septimius Severus had abated. He knew, through the example of  
incidents in American history, such as the Watergate scandal, how helpless men could be when tested with political desire. He forgave the impulse in the Emperor, but he knew he could not help viewing the Emperor's move as a passionless, pitiless, and uncompassionate decision.

There had been one advantage to Severus' political use of Cimberius' death however; it gave the scores of Romans animosity toward the Praetorian Guard. In the weeks following Pertinax's death, Xander pictured the Roman people going about their lives in dull isolation, hardly making the Praetorian Guard a concern and supporting each new Emperor appointed as if they felt the Emperor had been appointed justly in the Senate, as if he had been appointed by god. It occurred to him that now these feelings must have been changing from the Roman people, thereby educating them in the treacherous struggle for power going on in their Empire. He imagined he would have more help in going after the Praetorian Guard than he originally thought.

He dropped to the ground from his horse. Within an hour, he had arrived at Paulus' house. The rain splashed down in never-ending gray sheets from above. He doubted that masses of Romans would attend the funeral that night if the rain continued.

"Xander!" Buffy was calling over the roaring rain from inside Paulus' house. She cautiously stepped her way outside and down an embankment toward Xander. "Are you okay?"

"Is Paulus managing well?"

"No, honey."

Xander's heart fell.

"I talked with him less than a hour ago. He hardly let me speak, he was so torn up. Oh I feel so sorry for him!"

"Will he be at Cimberius' funeral?"

"I tried to ask him, that's what I wanted to say. But he never answered me."

Leading his horse, Xander started walking to the house, quickly but with direction. He had to admit that if Paulus discovered his grandson's death was being used politically to favor the Emperor, he would be even more downhearted.

Upon emerging from the rain into the house, Xander paused and stared vacantly at Buffy.

"You coming?"

Buffy hurried into the house in an agitated disposition. Her body and clothes were wet and drenched with rain.

Xander could only stare. "You look... nice," he said.

Buffy felt the rain dry from her face when she entered the house. She could see Xander smiling at her and she turned to study him, wondering what was on his mind. It didn't take the acuteness of a wise psychologist to tell her that he was intrigued by her dripping wet clothes.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you, Buffy."

Buffy had to suppress a smile at his comical execution. "Dork," she said with sarcasm.

She started for the stairs, then stopped and waited, watching Xander move toward the kitchen.

Dismayed that Xander did not follow her, she sighed and reluctantly went up the stairs.

Steps outside the kitchen door startled Paulus. He hadn't realized he'd dozed off... It must have been time he stopped drinking. He watched as Xander walked in, not liking the smug look on his face.

"You still haven't quit drinking, have you?" Xander remarked, glancing at a mug, which lay a few feet from Paulus on a table. "Cimberius told me you've been doing it for years."

"It's not your business. I just drank-"

"-to deal with your grandson's death," Xander said, a sting in his voice. "Well, I'm here. I don't want you drinking. If Cimberius was here, he wouldn't want you drinking either."

"I was going to stop," Paulus said, somewhat queasily.  
Xander studied his face in the dying firelight coming from the living room, looking for some clue as to whether he was intoxicated. His brief stint as a bartender years before supplied Xander with a knack for noticing peoples' sobriety.

"How do I look?" he asked Xander, shifting his chin as he spoke so Xander could get a more picturesque view.

"Drunk," Xander replied, squinting up at him, then returning to the mug. "Which is fine by me, because we got a long time until the funeral."

"I wish I had bought more rum."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't," Xander said. "You wouldn't have been able to go to his funeral."

"Who's funeral?"

"Your grandson's," Xander said.

"Which one?"

"Take my advice," Xander said. "Don't drink excessively. I find that it serves no great purpose but rendering you dumb."

Paulus grabbed the mug and gulped down the rum. "You want some?"

"Give me that," Xander said, snatching the partially full mug with one hand.

His mouth full, all Paulus could manage was: "I knew you'd drink." He gargled, then swallowed. "You are a soldier by Jupiter!"

Xander dumped out the remaining rum on the floor. Against all reason, he felt a sense of loss at the wasted rum.

Their exchange ended on that optimistic note, and Xander left Paulus to himself, heading with a thought towards Buffy, where he hoped to relax and slow down. He would have been with her after he came into the house, but he allowed his journey to be diverted to console Paulus. Remembering what Cimberius had told him weeks before, he was expecting Paulus to deal with his grieving through drinking. Uncomfortable though it was, Xander had suffered the same imperfect coping skill as Paulus when he was separated with his then existing girlfriend, Anya. Though he had made the same mistake drinking, he had not been an alcoholic like Paulus. The reason: he had great friends like Buffy at his side. Paulus did not.

By the time Antistius had arrived at Palatine Hill, where the funeral pyre would take place, he had the poison already made and set for use that night. Arpineius and Considius observed his presence and impulsively shifted quietly through the rain to where he was standing. The men looked stressed and red-eyed.

Antistius stood there, fidgeting in a plain-colored toga, wanting to get on with the rendezvous. Time to adjust the uncomfortable toga later, he thought. Right now, he felt certain, important things were to be done.

"Let's get out of the rain," Arpineius said, and led Antistius and Considius to a reclusive surrounding underneath a tent in the shadows. As they stopped in the tent adjacent to a wall, the gathering fell quiet.

"The Praetorian Guard is in trouble," Arpineius was saying, over and over, "I told the imbecile not to try to kill Pulcher. Now, he's dead and the mobs want our heads."

"Pulcher didn't know Cimberius served under Septimius Severus," Antistius said.

"Of course he didn't. No one knew," Arpineius said loudly. "But that won't convince the Romans to let their hatred subside against us now will it?"

Antistius sighed. "Just before I left the camp, Pulcher was informed."

"I bet he wet himself," Arpineius said sternly.

Antistius took a deep breath. He had never liked Arpineius. After his order to him to rape a little girl weeks before, he had not imagined he would accept any counsel from him with any grace. But he seemed too determined not to disappoint Pulcher and required any guidance he could find to make sure Xander's murder was a success.

"Do you have the poison?" Arpineius asked Antistius.  
"Do you think I would have been allowed to pass the gates if I had carried a mysterious substance with me?"

Arpineius gave Antistius a look of sudden and unexpected respect. "No. I don't think you would have. I know you're smarter than that, Antistius."

"We must deal with his lover tomorrow," Antistius said, determined to avoid esoteric intelligence between him and Pulcher with the men. "Today there are things that must be done to keep the Praetorian Guard safe from any threats."

Considius gave him a wicked smile. "Business over pleasure this time, then, Antistius?"

"The best pleasure is obtained by doing business first."

"Is that what you tell your mistresses?" Considius pushed further.

Antistius glared at Considius. "I am no philanderer."

"Oh, I believe you."

Antistius regarded him coldly and looked at Arpineius. "Are you both going to be here tonight for the funeral?"

Arpineius seemed uncertain. "We both highly regarded Cimberius as a forthright person and friend. We would stay but if the fool sees me... The whole plan could collapse."

"Are you sure he'd recognize you?" Antistius asked.

Arpineius nodded.

"What about you, Considius? Why are you leaving?" Antistius asked, eyeing Considius.

Considius smiled. "Arpineius and I have better things to do than watch someone be poisoned to death."

Antistius looked away. "So... No advice for me in finding this man?"

"Fortunately, I do not believe you will have a problem," Arpineius said, but he said it lightly, as if he allowed for the possibility . "The heavy rain will prevent several Romans from attending, so it will be easier to find him."

Antistius understood. "Anything else?"

"You should take care not to make people suspicious of you. If they discover that another Praetorian Guard member killed one of Severus' men... We will be eradicated for sure," Arpineius replied.

Antistius nodded. "Okay."

"I would pretend that you know him as well," Arpineius added. "Be very friendly and regard him as if he were a god..." Arpineius paused for a moment to think. "He'll believe it."

"Thank you, Arpineius and Considius," Antistius said, giving them both nods of approval.

Antistius remained standing underneath the tent as he watched them walk away. He wondered what the god Jupiter would decide for him that cold and wet night. He was nervous. Pulcher's plot for murder was something he had never done before, had never imagined himself doing to any man. But, as nervous as he felt, he would do as he was ordered.

Standing at the only window of their bedroom, Xander watched the rain rage on in every direction. He knew the rain would not delay the funeral but he had no doubt what he was seeing would intimidate the amassment of Romans scheduled to emerge on Palatine Hill. He was gratified to recognize that those who attended his friends' funeral would be people who knew and genuinely cared about Cimberius.

"It's raining pretty hard, isn't it?" he heard Buffy say, and turned to look at her, momentarily disoriented.

"Yes, it is," he said.

He came to join her at the bed, which seemed like the perfect setting to lie down. "The rain is only worsening. I suggest we leave earlier than expected. I'm feeling that would be in both our best interests."

"What about Paulus?"

"He'll go when he chooses to," he said. "Paulus... he's drunk. I don't want to embarrass you and me by bringing him along."

"You want to risk us both getting sick on a night like this?"

"Palatine Hill may not be available again for his funeral. Besides, I've been in worse weather conditions than this. I fought a man in a snowstorm at Gerasa..."

"We're going to be standing still for hours, Xander," she said, "maybe you should go alone."

"Why, have you got something else to do?" he asked her. "You do, don't you?"

"How could I have?" she protested lightly. "I've barely left this house more than a few times."

He studied her, his face all perplexed. "But you felt compassion for Cimberius, didn't you? You should be at his funeral." He followed her gaze through the window. "You don't want to get sick, that's all?"

"You can see for yourself," she replied. "We'll probably die of pneumonia before the end of the night."

"No," he said. "Not us. It won't happen."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I made it through a snowstorm without getting sick, remember? We'll be fine."

"I remember," she replied.

"Fifteen minutes, then we'll go."

"I'll be ready."

Buffy didn't question her last remark; there was too much else on her mind. She wanted to sleep, though whether out of fatigue or sorrow she wasn't sure. Her worries she'd come to conceive about the weather was founded in solid fact- there was no antibiotics or medication for a cold or pneumonia. She knew Xander was aware of that simple fact. She'd only been persuaded by him because of his stubbornness. His stubbornness clouded his judgement and someday might well kill him, she began to suspect: which thought was the sorrow in her.

Xander sat beside her on the bed, where she could see his warm, smiling face.

"It's funny how you've changed in one day, Xander. I remember someone quite different yesterday," she said, frustration evident in her voice.

Xander's smile slipped away. "What did I do differently today?"

She decided to be honest. "You're way too assertive and single-minded."

He nodded thoughtfully. "I guess I'm guilty."

"You are. You should be ashamed."

Xander squinted suspiciously at Buffy as he spoke. "Like you haven't been that way before?"

Buffy's lips twisted upward. "No I haven't."

"Liar," Xander whispered softly. The intimacy in his voice made her fingers tremble and she calmly let him pull her legs tighter to his chest. "You've been that way for years as a slayer."

She took a long time to answer. "I had to be... you don't have to-"

"Oh, you mean, just because I'm not a slayer, I can't be assertive and single-minded?"

"Yes," she muttered. "It seems like your whole mentality now has been reduced to this... manliness."

"Buffy, honey," Xander said in a slow drawl, "far as I can tell, you've only been attracted to manly people... except maybe for Spike and Scott, but your discrepancy is obvious."

Buffy laughed so hard she forgot about her morbid thoughts of him and realized he had a point. She'd often been smitten to so-called manly people, so she knew she was even more smitten to Xander.

He slipped one hand to her hips and drew her closer, forcing her to recognize the power of his desire. She shivered as she realized that hers was just as powerful.

"I don't have to like their attitude," she whispered before his mouth sought hers and lowered onto it.

When Xander's lips met hers, she didn't feel angry at all. His lips were soft and warm as they moved on hers, and seduced her so quickly that she felt her knees go weak and had to sit on the headboard of the bed or she would have fallen. By the time he finally permitted her to withdraw a bit, it required an effort for her to do so.

It was a bittersweet awakening. She longed to reach out and kiss him for the rest of the day, but she couldn't.

He brushed a stray blonde curl from her forehead; his fingers seemed to smoothen her flesh. "I need you to be with me tonight. I mean that."

"I know you do," she said seriously. Then in a lighter tone she asked him if she could stay indoors during the procession.

"Yes!" he declared. "Anything you want."

She laughed. "Good, because I don't want to hold you responsible for me getting sick."

Xander excused himself soon after that and went to a private room to dress for his friend's funeral. More than ever he was determined to remain strong. But at the moment, he was torn by the effect his friend's loss had on him. He yearned to hear Cimberius' words of encouragement and have a brotherly figure in his life. The memories he had of Cimberius accumulated into a gnawing pain, similar to hunger, and he was sure they would be there for longer than just the night.

Xander had expected Palatine Hill to be much in despair than the wild, fervent outpost he saw from his horse. "A funeral? They look like they're ready for an orgy."

Buffy laughed, easing into the mount of Cimberius' old horse. "We still got a few hours to go, Xander. They're probably just entertaining themselves before the procession."

Xander saw many people restlessly moving about, all acting as if they were involved in pressing business, but no one had any look of distress. "Here I was thinking the people that actually cared about Cimberius would show up... Is this how Romans prepare for funerals?" he said incredulously.

"The soldiers just want to spend a little time entertaining themselves, that's all."

Xander studied the drinks passed around to the soldiers by the slaves. "I guess Paulus wouldn't have embarrassed us after all. He would've fit right in."

Two soldiers stood at the sides of a opened frame gate, nodding at Xander and Buffy as they passed into the gathering of people. Buffy nodded back, prompting one of the soldiers to wink his eye at her. "I hope this isn't an orgy." Xander gave her a critical glance. "You never know with these people."

The thought of an orgy quickly sent an image in Xander's mind, but the shaggy, unwashed look of the women in the masses aroused no further temptation. "Yeah... you never know. At least I have you..."

"How comforting..."

"Where would you put these horses so they're not stolen?"

"I'll stay with them. I don't really feel like mingling with the Romans anyway."

Beyond the Circus Maximus and the Arch of Titus, beyond the couple of forums and sculptures that passed for the center of Palatine Hill, long stacks of hay spread for a considerable distance around the stretch where the funeral would take place. Xander had become so familiarized to the smell of rum from Paulus' home that the increased odor almost escaped his attention. He had ridden beside Buffy the whole trip, but now he strode ahead, reining in at a dome-shaped building which even with the pouring rain dampening its color, retained the fresh silver, lustrous look of new marble. "They're giving out rum to these people," Xander explained. "This building is where its stored."

Xander had left Palatine Hill earlier that morning to ride ahead to Paulus' house when he passed by the building, recalling the abundance of stacks of hay being placed on boxes by slaves to protect whatever was in it from the weather.

"The Emperor would never allow drinking for a funeral," Buffy said.

Xander thought about how Severus wanted to be successful with the Roman people by making Cimberius' death a catalyst for support on his side. It suddenly became clear to him as to why Septimius Severus would want boxes of rum for the funeral. Giving the Romans what they cherished most was meant to further galvanize his support and undermine the Praetorian Guard's popularity. The Praetorian Guard never gave the Romans free rum.

He was blown away by the understanding Severus had on the Romans. As he thought extensively about Severus, he abruptly noticed Severus himself coming into his view. The Emperor was under a myriad of protection when a sudden rush of people broke on the square ahead, as though the Romans had came to life at their leader's presence. A throng of people in front of Xander swivelled sharply, and he was only able to prevent a collision by jumping to the pavement, bringing his horse to safety at a spot inches short of the building's wall.

Buffy sighed as she made her way to Xander. Using her slayer's agility, she was off the horse with one acrobatic jump. She dragged her horse by the reins towards the wall and glanced towards the Emperor in the distance.

"I don't know if he has enough bodyguards," she whispered into the misty night air.

She turned her horse so that Xander's and her own could stand alongside each other.

"You have a good point... He doesn't have the Praetorian Guard." He looked to his side at the droopy and wearied horses. They looked like they were desperate in need of water or maybe just sleep. Xander's thoughts went back to the rum. "Buffy... can horses drink booze?"

Buffy stared at him in bewilderment. "What?"

"Well," Xander said, "The horses look pretty thirsty and the closest place for any drinks is behind us."

Buffy was mortified. For lack of something to say for Xander's suggestion, she stroked the mane of each horse with one hand.

"Ah, never mind. I hope that we won't ever need to. It was just a suggestion." He brightened. "Besides, we know the effect of rum on people, imagine the horses..."

Both of them laughed.

"How about us?" Xander asked, his brown eyes sparkling. "We could drink rum."

Buffy smiled. "You're just trying to get me drunk so you can laugh at me..."

Xander's lips curved into a devilish smile. "I wouldn't say just to laugh at you," Xander said, taking Buffy's hand and kissing it. "But you know..."

Buffy swung her hand away from Xander's mouth. "Oh, so that's how you got Faith to sleep with you."

Xander felt himself flushing. "No. That's not why..."

"Sure.." Buffy continued through a sarcastic tone.

The booming voice in front of them didn't give Xander a chance to reply. Xander turned to see Septimius Severus, standing unobstructed from view above the body of Romans below him. The Emperor stood exultantly on the marble steps of a forum, unsteadily shaking his hands as he spoke.

"Most people run and hide when one of their own is murdered so barbarically... They're not even able to live without fear..." the Emperor explained. "Even those who love the ones who were murdered... All they want is to be happy... even if it means letting his murder go unpunished. It's just a part of being a human being, I guess."

Xander stared with a blank face at Severus, then at Buffy. "He's going to use Cimberius' death to make the people feel sorry for him," Xander whispered. "He didn't even know Cimberius."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "You serious?"

"Listen..."

Water vapor began to visibly come out of Severus' mouth. "It's only natural to want revenge, to do things your own way..." he continued powerfully. "Even if you appreciate the land or homes you inherited or were given to, wouldn't you be more proud of the land you managed to buy with your own money, or built by yourselves?"

A chill went down Xander's spine when he realized Severus wanted the Romans to dispose of the Praetorian Guard themselves. Severus was bluntly implying that the Romans take matters in their own hands.  
"Look what they did to him!" he shouted, and now his voice had risen to an angry roar that echoed around the square, and was taken up by the crowd.

The clutter bearing Cimberius' body was exhibited through the crowd by fifteen soldiers and placed intensely on a mound of wood that was waiting to gain fire.

"I'm going to get closer," Xander told Buffy.

Buffy watched as Xander followed the body and pushed his way through the Romans.

The Emperor hung his head, apparently in respect for Cimberius.

Xander stopped once the wall of Romans was too strong to penetrate. He stared in astonishment at what he recognized to be Licinius, the Emperor's personal bodyguard, addressing all of the achievements that Cimberius had made in his lifetime. There was a diminutive groan from the crowd when he read that Cimberius was once a member of the Praetorian Guard. Then the young bodyguard recited the list of Cimberius' military accomplishments and the victories he had won, notably the Sarmatian wars.

After listening for minutes, Xander felt the addressing of Cimberius' life achievements were overdone and exaggerated. The amount of contributions to the Empire could not have been that much, Xander realized.

The crowd was serene when Severus took over. "You can count all of the good services he gave to Rome. He loved this Empire... and he loved you too. What a dishonor it is for him to be butchered by the Praetorian Guard! Should we allow his death to pass... by doing nothing!"

There was a frustrated murmur among the crowd, their anger seeming to erupt out a hateful, "No!"

"To everyone that attended tonight..." He appeared too speechless with mourning to go on. The crowd seemed to be on edge.

Xander browsed through the enthralled Romans faces, shaking his head at their naiveness. "He's a fake!" he yelled to the Romans in front of him, not loud enough for the Emperor to hear.

"Who said that!" a husky voice grumbled ahead from within the crowd.

Like persecutors from the Salem Witch Trials, the Romans searched desperately for a sinner.

Xander looked away from their eyes, remaining focused on the Emperor. "Shit," he whispered to himself.

"Honor and remember my fallen soldier... Remember all the good he's done for the Empire. To me... To you... To every Roman citizen across this vast country. He cared... And he was killed for it!"

It was enough to cause the crowd to chaos.

"For tonight, I have brought free rum to each Roman that has attended. Drink for Dionysus!"

In a second, the frenzy and hate engrossed in the Romans turned to cheers of admiration and respect for Septimius Severus. The mobs set off toward the boxes of rum that surrounded them, leaving Xander dismayed at their sudden withdrawal from the square. It was so incredulous that one gift, in one moment, could make the hundreds of Romans forget everything that Severus had said about Cimberius. But it was so.

The masses of Romans were flocking around the boxes of rum surrounding the square at a lightning speed. Antistius moved behind one of the boxes, hiding himself from vision. He grunted as he pushed his hand into the hay. After a few seconds, he snatched his cup of poison from the box.

"That a boy," he said, carrying the cup a few feet away from the rick.

Antistius wiped the sweat from his forehead. Every muscle in his body ached and he was tired enough to sleep standing up. But he could not remember having a more intriguing night. Not to mention a more beneficial one.

He knew this was the night where he could finally eliminate Xander. It was a promise that would be rewarded with relief and peace in the Praetorian Guard.

He walked along the outer rim of the square, looking through each face, hoping to recognize his prey. Every face was gleaming in the torches of light inserted disconnectedly throughout the square. A gentle rain soaked the hundreds of Romans who bull-headedly drank their rum. Scholars and senators were dressed in pure white togas and were exchanging ideas in the umbrage of pillars from the forums.

This seemed to Antistius like divine intervention. The forums were eliminated from the inquest. Xander had to be outside in the square.

A memory of what Xander's face looked like came to mind. Antistius had only seen Xander a brief moment in a house where he had raped and murdered a young girl. Perhaps he should have checked to see Xander when he heard the ruckus the previous day at the Praetorian Guard Camp. It would not have been difficult to find him with a vivid image of Xander's face embedded in his brain.

Antistius wandered down the narrow walkways to the main square. He stopped at a bakery shed and bought a loaf of bread to suffice his hunger. As he chewed, he walked closer to the masses, eager to find Xander.

A couple of hours later, a soldier somberly deposited a torch on a mound of wood, setting ablaze a fire that consumed Cimberius' corpse.

Xander was going to lend a few words on behalf of Cimberius, but he felt it would be foolish to add anything contrary to what the Emperor had said. Xander knew the Emperor mostly had lied about who Cimberius was. His speech would give the Romans the impression that he was more prominent and that he cared more about Cimberius than the Emperor.

Xander walked through the evening landscape, his broad arms now crossed over his plain toga to ward off the cold sting in the air. Listening to the crowd around him, the heavy footsteps on the marble, the giggling of women, the drizzling sound of the rain, and the demur of the wind seemed to stuff his ears as his dark, brown eyes navigated his way.

Following the way he came to the square, he got closer to the dome-shaped building. Coming around the periphery of the large square, he openly watched Buffy move about around the horses, talking and silently providing the horses with what appeared to be rum.

"Buffy? I guess you did it my way, huh?"

Xander noticed that her hair was drenched. Instead of the glowing blonde hair she had back at Paulus' home, her hair had become a darkened apricot color, hanging loosely and without form.

"Nope. I had to risk getting sick by searching everywhere for water. Luckily there was a well down at the end of the square."

"So... they only have rum here." Xander found himself compelled to stare at Buffy. He would not have thought her appearance could change so much in a couple of hours, and all for the better. "Buffy, you're a goddess."

"You're a freak."

Xander walked beside the horses so he could avoid any drunks who might come staggering his way. He came to stand behind her. "What's wrong?"

"Taking care of these horses is like taking care of children."

He waited.

She turned and her cold green eyes settled on him. "I noticed you were angry with the Emperor. Xander... we can't make any more enemies."

The thought gave Xander a chill. "I know... is that what's bothering you?"

"Yeah... and that I am bored out of my mind... I want to leave." Hold me, Buffy thought. Show me some sign that leaving would be a joy to you. She wanted to weep from frustration, but her ego would not allow it.

Xander stood in front of her, the raindrops firing with a force like a barrage of bullets. He hesitated. For a moment he thought that they should probably leave. But then he said, "Let me get something to eat, and we'll go," and turned and went back to the square.

Buffy shook her head in disappointment.

Xander walked up the square, killing time by stopping and looking at the soldiers in Severus' legions. Many of the other soldiers of his legions that were not busy going about their duties or running errands, idly talked and laughed with each other. While some stood alone with their own thoughts, many others simply drank rum or were telling amusing stories to their friends.

While Xander watched the soldiers with curiosity, only a few acknowledged him as he passed by, including Duratius and a friend of his on guard duty as they gulped down rum from small clay mugs. The other soldiers that did notice him only gave him a brief glance or nod before going back to whatever they were doing.

A mahogany colored shack selling bread caught Xander's eye, the only place he'd seen that sold food at the funeral. His curiosity carried him to the shack to look at what they sold. One was bread, another cheese, a third porridge. A seller inched over anxiously after Xander had looked through the foods. "I can let you have some cheap."

That the foods had been overcooked and dry was obvious. But Xander was too hungry to be captious. "I don't think I have any money to buy them."

"You look like a soldier. Are you one?"

Xander nodded. "Yes."

"I could let you have bread for free..."

Xander lingered over the cheese and porridge, reviewing the food. "Why not the cheese or porridge?"

The seller shook his head. "Bread is the only food fit for a soldier."

Xander accepted the decision with bitterness, realizing he could not have what he wanted. Cheese. "Okay, the bread."

The seller handed him an enormous loaf of bread. "Did you know that Cimberius guy? Boy, was he a man..."

Xander forced a smile. "Yeah he was." As he took a bite of the bread, he heard his name called and knew before he turned that the voice was Cato's.

Xander froze. Seconds passed, and he remained still. Not knowing what to expect, he glanced around uneasily. When his eyes confirmed that it was Cato, a smile touched his face- a pleasing, warming smile that lasted for only an instant, before his guarded expression returned.

"Cato?"

The smile Cato flashed him had lost none of its dramatic quality. "Xander!" he cried. "How extraordinary you look!"

His long fingered hand invited Xander's hand for a shake. Xander shook his hand proudly, holding loosely to his loaf of bread with his other hand.

Xander gathered his wits and stepped back, giving Cato space to go to the seller. "You can get something."

A little impatiently, Cato said, "No, no, no. I'm fine. I didn't come here for the food. I knew that was you I saw!"

Xander's eyes narrowed slightly, very intent on Cato's face, and when he smiled suddenly it was with certainty that Cato was not there to hurt him. "Look, Cato... about what happened... I'm sorry..."

Cato chuckled. "No problem... I'm not angry with you... Why don't you and I have a drink?"

"Well... Buffy wants to go..."

Cato's eyes widened. "Your both alive?" he asked.

Xander nodded. "We're still alive... amazingly."

Cato nodded in turn, his dark eyes thoughtful. "Amazing it is... So you have a place to stay?"

Xander couldn't help but laugh a little. "Yes we do- with a drunk..."

Cato smiled at him. "If I've learned anything in my life, son, it's that there are very few things in life that are predictable."

Xander brought the bread to his lips and chewed, careful not to lose any crumbs. "Mmm.. Yes. You certainly are right, my friend," he replied while giving a nod of appreciation. "Who would've thought we'd meet here?" After a few seconds, he asked, "Why are you here anyways?"

Cato looked up at him. "I knew Cimberius' grandfather," he said, his eyes bright, smiling.

Xander gestured Cato to follow him. "Come on, let's walk." Xander thought for a moment, and sighed deeply, realizing who Cato had mentioned. "Paulus," he said simply. "You knew Paulus?"

Even before Cato reached him, he began to exclaim shrilly. "I should be asking you the same question! How do you know him!"

"He's the drunk I was talking about," Xander said. "Buffy and I are staying at his house."

They reached a great oak tree on the outskirts of the hill, where the leaves offered shelter from the rain. Xander helped Cato lower himself to the grassy region, where he could lean back against the trunk of the tree. Then he dropped down near Cato.

Cato frowned. "I wondered what kind of man Paulus would become. He must have taken up drinking from the years of isolation he felt from his grandsons and former wives. You should feel lucky to have been allowed to stay at his home. I can't imagine him in that state of mind letting one stranger... especially two into his home."

"He was drunk when he let us in."

"That could have been the reason," Cato said. Closing his eyes, he let the sounds of rustling leaves and raindrops drift through his mind. "This was what you looked like when I found you sleeping that one night..." Cato opened his mouth wide, letting drool slither down his lips.

"I was probably fantasizing about Buffy," Xander said briskly. "I don't usually drool when I sleep you know... at least from what I'm told..."

"May I ask you a question?" Cato asked.

"Sure, even though you just did... Of course." Xander finished eating the last part of his bread.

"Are you a soldier?"

"Yes," Xander said without hesitation.

Cato raised expressive brown eyebrows. "You're certainly no Englishman."

It was time, Xander knew very well, for him to continue the lie he supplied to Cato long ago. "Yes I am."

"That's not what your friends from the future told me."

Xander swallowed audibly and though his knees were weak, eased off the tree. His clarity was denied by stunned disbelief. Struggling to contain it, his lips trembled open. "Which friends?"

"Dawn, Brittany, and Willow. They're not your friends?"

"It can't be," Xander whispered, shaking his head. He knew that Willow had made a mistake while doing witchcraft and had caused Buffy and him to time travel into the Roman Empire. They were the only ones that could be in the time period. Surely, something preposterous was at play here that he wasn't aware of.

Xander clenched his fists, refusing to believe what Cato had told him. "No... no! You're lying! This can't be true! It's only Buffy and me!" He yelled, standing to his feet angrily when Cato attempted to comfort him.

"It's true. And Willow's here... with me," Cato said, patient. "She's the one that told me everything... You're from the 21st century, you two were friends since childhood..."

"Stop!" Xander cried. A painful weight grew in his chest, weakening his heart beat as if the air had been abruptly knocked out of him. "Here with you? Where?"

"She went to a lavatory a few minutes ago. She'd be overwrought with joy once she sees you."

It took a moment for the news to sink in, but Xander couldn't fully clear the disbelief chiseled in his head and crippling his body. But he managed to cross the grass vigilantly into the square, searching for proof that what Cato claimed was true.

Xander ran a hand through his hair, looking distracted, confused, and perplexed. "I don't know how you know all this, Cato... but it's not funny."

Cato got to his feet, taking a single step forward in desperation. "You have to believe me... I wouldn't lie to you."

"Did you know that Willow was the reason why Buffy and I were sent here?" Xander asked coldly.

Cato shook his head. "No. No, I didn't."

"Hey Cato! Xand-"

Xander almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of Willow's voice. It felt as if someone had came up from behind him and yelled "Boo."

He looked fearfully over his shoulder and there was Willow, grinning lovingly at him. Xander wasn't certain if she was laughing at him or happy to see him. He knew she was the reason Buffy and him were sent to Rome. Everything she'd did in the past seemed to prove that she was the miscreant.

"Where have you been, Xand!" Willow said cheerfully.

She playfully slapped Xander on the shoulder, but quickly drew away as she saw his face turning grave. Before she was able to take a few steps back, Xander had gripped her at the front of her white dress and hurled her ferociously against the nearby oak tree.

"Xander!" Cato yelled.

"You're the reason Buffy and I are here... alone!" Xander hissed, and tightened his grip even more. "Why did you have to do this to us! I am not going to let you laugh this off like it's nothing! Damn it, I-" he suddenly felt tears rising in his eyes. "How could you do this? ... We could've died!"  
He pressed her slender figure one more time to the tree, then loosened his grip and walked back into the square. He nearly felt the urge to hit himself. "Why did you have to become so unscrewed, you pathetic excuse for a man," he thought to himself. He slowly felt the sudden coldness creep away from him as he saw that Willow was crying.

She fell to her knees, tears flooding down her face, her hands trying to stop the rush of tears as they flowed on and on.

Xander tore his gaze away from Willow to Cato, who watched him with disgust.

"Your temper hasn't changed much, Xander..." Cato said.

Unable to meet or endure the questioning look of concern altering Cato's expression, Xander turned away. He hated his explosion on Willow but he justified his behavior mutely on the grounds that she had sent him to Rome.

Willow groaned, and snaked her body up the tree to her feet. After wiping away the tears  
from her eyes, she took a step forward and murmured, "The bag wasn't mine, Xander."

Xander's eyes glazed over at another sight of Willow.

Standing by the shack, feeling like a scoundrel, Xander felt a twinge of remorse. Xander's love for Willow glowed, unconcealed and unrestrained, from his dark eyes.

A yearning ache filled his being, and though he was genuinely happy that his best friend had at last found him, Xander couldn't help wondering who was the person that had caused his time travel to Rome.

Xander frowned at Willow. "Who was it?"

Willow's smile was weak. "It was Giles." Her eyes grew shadowed with a faraway, withdrawn expression. "I think his fascination with history had something to do with whatever he placed in that bag." Her voice held the tone of absolute conviction.

Xander nodded in solemn agreement, although finding it unreasonable that Giles was the villain. "Do you have any proof?"

Willow rolled her watery eyes in Xander's direction, as if discouraging any doubt on his part. "Please, don't think I had anything to do with this... I would never endanger any of my friend's lives again. You know that..." she pleaded, referring to the time she became an occultist sorceress bent on destroying the world.

"You're certain it was Giles?" Xander pressed.

"Oh, yes." Willow nodded her head sharply. "He almost prevented me, Dawn, and Brittany from coming here."

"So you gals came here... why?" Xander asked, smiling but serious.

"Well... we were worried about you... and we wanted to see if you were okay," Willow retorted.

"You girls are totally crazy," Xander accused, laughing. "And totally cool and into the here and now of today."

"Totally," Willow agreed, laughing with him.

"Which probably ensures that we'll all be doomed to die in this place, I guess," Xander added.

Willow nearly choked on her laughter. "Your guess is pretty accurate, strong-looking one." She glanced amusingly at Cato. "What do you think, Cato? About his looks?"

Cato's response was firm. "I think he's wonderful."

Willow smiled with confident satisfaction. "Do I have a sexy friend-or what?"

Before Cato could respond, Xander began guiding Willow and Cato toward the dome-shaped building where Buffy was. "You have another sexy friend, Willow," Xander drawled. He glanced at Cato. "You know it, Cato." Xander grinned. "Before any of you is dazzled by my good looks, you have to see Buffy."

Buffy was relieved minutes later when she saw Xander starting to come into view, confirming the fact that they were finally going to leave. Drying her wet face with her hands, she walked to where Xander was approaching. Shaking her head, she said, "I was wondering what was taking you so long..."  
Suddenly she caught sight of Cato and a red-headed woman at the far end of the crowd. Xander stood in front of Buffy, with Cato and the red-headed woman coming from behind him. "Buffy," Xander said. "You're not going to believe-"

"Willow?" Buffy interrupted in excitement. After weeks of separation, it was a great comfort for her to see her friend again, only the thought that she could be the reason behind their time traveling provided a hesitance.

Willow stared at the strange moistened woman, but within a second she too was able to recognize her. "Buffy!"

"You didn't send us here did you? Please tell me you didn't!" Buffy suddenly threw in.

Willow replied with a pondering stare at Xander. "No I didn't."

Xander nodded, realizing what Willow wanted him to do. He explained what Willow and Cato had told him to Buffy about Giles and her sister being there in Rome. He left out Brittany during the explanation to avoid any awkwardness between him and Buffy. After he was done, Buffy looked more shocked than she was when she first saw Willow.

"What do you think?" Xander asked.

"I think we need to find Giles and kill him," she said. "But who knows? This might have been the best thing that he did. We'll all together now."

Willow reached forward and hugged Buffy, "I missed you Buffy. Things aren't the same in Sunnydale without you."

Xander seemed irritated. "Okay that's enough ladies."

Willow pulled away. "Xander's just jealous he didn't get a hug."

"I guess I kinda hurt my chances," Xander followed Willow's eyes. She smiled. "Now, since you're done with Buffy... Can-"

Willow hugged Buffy again, tighter this time. Buffy winced in pain. "Ow, Will!"

Not understanding Willow's intentions, Xander could only stare dumbfounded.

The women giggled at his puzzlement as they broke the hug. "It doesn't hurt for another hug..." Willow explained.

Xander laughed appreciatively while the chattering women wrapped their arms around him in a hug. For a moment, it seemed to him that he and his friends were one. He could feel that they were going to be better friends now than they ever had been. Thanks to Giles.

Kisses were exchanged on the cheeks and necks, as the girls and Xander prepared to pull away from the hug.

Xander gave the ladies a flirtatious wink as they came out of the hug.

Nervously, Willow drew in a deep breath. To see both her friends alive was more than she ever hoped. It scarcely seemed possible. But when she saw the look of sheer lust on Buffy's face to Xander's, she wished for a second that she hadn't encountered them.

"I say we all get a drink," Cato suggested.

"Sure, why not?" Xander said as he put his arm around Buffy's shoulder in front of Willow. He looked up at Willow. "Would you mind if we drank?"

Willow blinked back a tear, nodded, and gave a faint smile.

The rum was flavorsome and delicious. The boxes gave up the finest rum that Xander had ever tasted.

"It is all so extravagant," Buffy whispered to Xander.

Xander shrugged, as if to say it was nothing.

To Xander's left stood an elderly man who had been quiet throughout the night. He spoke up now, addressing those at the funeral. "I will play you an eloquent song in honor of Cimberius..."

Those who paid attention to what he said nodded and applauded in anticipation. The man seemed to be dead until his gaze came around to a pretty woman in the front. "You ready for the song, my lady?"

"Yes I am," she said politely.

"Here I go!"

Buffy noticed Xander rolling his eyes but watched anyway to the man, as if he wanted to see what the old man would do next.

It was not long into the first selection that Willow thought the harpist was excellent, and so was surprised that many people continued talking in scarcely disguised tones. Some even walked around the square, visiting with companions. Even Buffy and Xander spoke in quiet whispers as they gaped about.

Willow turned her head to her right and stared shamelessly at Cato who chugged down volumes of rum into his mouth.

"Cato," Willow intoned, "don't embarrass yourself. Surely you're old enough to remember how drinking affects you..."

Cato pursed his lips in mock anger. "I will drink if I want!"

"They say," Willow continued, "that the Emperor of Nero once played a harp on the top of the Imperial Palace when Rome was burning."

"You are hopeless," Cato said and laughed.

"Right..."

Xander was glad Cato and Willow had come, glad that everyone was safe, and glad, too, that Brittany had not accompanied them. He would enjoy himself tonight, as much as any Roman would in the square. If for only one evening, he wanted to live as if nothing had happened to him the whole time while he was in Rome.

Xander wasn't happy that he had forgotten about Cimberius amidst Cato and Willow's sudden arrival. He was coming to realize that the funeral on Palatine Hill was only entertainment. The people in the square were not grieving and saying anything noble of Cimberius. Instead they were drinking and socializing like pigs and fools.

He remembered Cimberius telling him that 'you have to face reality.' As he watched the color and lasciviousness of riches that night, he thought that such excess made him more clearly understand the reality of Roman living. The Romans are easily won over by possessions, Xander realized.  
"Xander?" Buffy brought Xander out of what he was thinking, " What is wrong?" she asked, having seen the look on his face as he thought. She had seen that look before. It was the same look he had wore just before they entered the hill.

Xander sighed deeply, pulling her closer. "Nothing," he said. "It's just... I feel wrong drinking and entertaining myself when this is a funeral. Cimberius' funeral."

The pain that filled his voice was enough to make Buffy's eyes fill with tears.

She cuddled up closer to him and gently kissed his neck, "I am sorry for being so grumpy earlier. I wanted to leave... we wouldn't have found Willow and Cato if it wasn't for you..."

"It wasn't your fault for wanting to leave," Xander said, leaning against the horses behind them, "I was just hungry... I would've left as well."

"I know," Buffy answered, using her other hand to stroke the hair at the back of his neck, "I just wish I had been nicer to you... that's all."

Xander nodded and kissed her forehead. "You don't have to worry about that anymore. It's over... and your sister and Willow are here."

Buffy smiled softly, closing her eyes. "Yes... I can't wait to see Dawn."

They stood quietly for a moment, and then Willow placed a hand on Xander's shoulder.

"What are you guys up to?" she asked.

Xander smiled at the look of curiosity that Willow had in her eyes and lifted his cup of rum to his lips, "Just enjoying the music... Willow, I'm sure your aware Buffy and I..."

Willow made no effort to act surprised, and said simply, "Oh, I know."

"So you're okay with it?"

Xander was staring at her, his eyes narrowing, the smile deepening. At that moment, Willow felt that his simple glance could penetrate through to her soul. She was certain, he sensed what her feelings were and she dared to think she might know his.

"I can adjust..." She paused, heart thumping. "Xand," she began again. "I think actually you and Buffy make a great couple."

Xander smiled as if in relief. "Thank you." He placed his free hand over Willow's. "I hope you can understand why this happened..." The tone of his voice thickened and he inclined his head towards hers.

Willow suddenly withdrew her hand from his. "I do," she lied. She felt no guilt that she was lying about her true feelings. Her lying was just a way to halfheartedly join in on the fun without ruining it.

Buffy curled up tighter in his arms as he raised up his cup a bit so he could drink. He soon began to drink and Buffy relaxed as he gulped down the remaining rum.

Willow gazed at them while she listened to the harpist. God, she hated the couple. She really wanted to ask him if he was feeling okay, but she didn't. She was afraid to. After his outburst towards her minutes before, she was afraid that Xander would not want her around anymore. She knew that he had lost his fond memories of her.

Tears pricked her eyes at the memory of Xander kissing her cheek and she quickly wiped them away before anyone saw. She could not afford to cry now. She could do that later once she had gotten Xander and Buffy situated at Cornelius' home but right now she needed to be strong.

She turned away from Xander and the others, looking ahead for anything that would make her happy. She would just have to try and stay away from Buffy and Xander. She wasn't used to seeing them cuddling together. It was something of a shock that still wouldn't leave her.

Antistius was being pushed and shoved in a long line of strangely dressed Romans. No one seemed to notice his muscular presence as people bumped and moved past him.

He worked his way to the front, just before the harpist. Dark eyes met those of Antistius' and he could feel the butterflies fluttering in his chest. He knew that any pair of those eyes could be that of Xander's.  
He had asked many Romans in the crowd about Xander and had no luck. He knew sooner or later he'd find the one that would know his whereabouts.

The rain came down in sheets. Antistius gripped his cup of poison tightly as he maneuvered through the crowd, squinting for someone that resembled Xander's appearance.

Antistius was concentrating so hard on what he thought was Xander that he almost didn't notice a woman headed right towards his way.

Antistius turned his head to see a young woman wandering beside him. He almost walked away from her but her beauty was too mesmerizing to ignore. She had big blue eyes, and thick red hair that hung over her shoulders.

"Can I help you?" Antistius asked, acutely aware the girl might fall for his charm.

The red-headed girl gave him a strange look, and spoke, "No... you can't."

"You're quite a beautiful lady... What's your name?"

The red-headed girl smiled, stuffing her hands into her armpits for warmth. "Thanks... Willow."

"Willow," Antistius repeated, seemingly puzzled. Watching the woman in disbelief, he then tried to change his act, smiling with mock pleasure. "That's a beautiful name."

Willow recognized his poor attempt at flattery and frowned. "Right..."

Antistius watched the young woman scurry away, then turned back to scanning the square. He found himself cursing the girl for distracting him. 'Of all the people, why did I have to see her?' Then it dawned on him to ask her about Xander.

"Hold on, lady! Stop!" Antistius cried.

The red-headed woman stopped walking and reluctantly turned around to face Antistius.

"Have you seen... Xander?" he asked.

Willow frowned again. "Oh, Xander? He's about ten feet from the harpist."

Antistius turned and looked into the crowd of Romans near the harpist and then turned back to Willow. "I haven't seen him for years... Can you point him out?" he asked nervously.

Willow rolled her eyes. "Okay..."

She advanced to Antistius and pointed behind him into a sea of people. She directed her index finger through a wall of sagging togas and bronze armor. Hidden behind a bulky man and flowing floods of spectators, dark eyes stared calmly back. A smirk played on the man's lips. A blonde woman behind him was little more than a blur in the background.

"That's him," Willow said, smiling at Antistius.

Antistius returned the smile, leaning his head forward to see his prey more clearly. "It's been a good five years since I've seen him." He looked up at Willow. "Thank you for your help."

Willow rolled her eyes again, wondering if he was delusional. She could not know how a man could have seen Xander years before when Xander had only been in Rome for weeks. But when Antistius rushed away towards Xander, she knew it wasn't worth the trouble. He probably has Xander mistaken for someone else, she thought.

The walk to the gathering towards Xander was a quiet one. Things hadn't gone the way Antistius had hoped. But he had heard the words that he wanted to hear and finding Xander might not have occurred in a more perfect world. And now he knew he would accomplish his task.

Antistius reached where Xander was standing after what seemed like hours. He took in Xander's appearance and disposition and saw that he and a blonde woman were holding hands. A lecherous smile crossed his face, and Xander turned to see him. Xander immediately quirked his eyebrow at the sight of the strange man in front of him.

"Who are you?"

Buffy followed Antistius' gaze to see her hand linked with Xander's. She blushed and quickly released them.  
"Why, hello!" Antistius said brightly, as though Buffy wasn't there. "My name is Plancus Publius Crassus but you can call me Crassus if you like."

Xander looked down at the man cautiously for a moment and then against his will his face broke out into a slight grin. He knew that he never met the man before in his life, but a part of him wanted to please the man. "Oh, hello Crassus... how have you been?"

Antistius beamed. "I've been well... I suppose. I was going to leave early to get out of this dreadful rain but I must say, that harpist really kept me here! Anyway, my uncle knew the poor bastard that was murdered... I believe you were very close to him."

Xander looked down at the marble below him, sadness filling his rugged features. "He was killed at the worst possible time. It is over with now..."

Buffy took Xander's hand with her own and squeezed.

Antistius bit his lip. He considered giving Xander the poison at this vulnerable moment, but hesitated.

"Well... I'm glad he was given this grand funeral that he deserved!"

Xander looked up at Antistius, shaking his head. "He deserved it, but he didn't want it."

Antistius did not share his discouragement. "Sometimes it's what the Roman people want that matters. Caligula the Emperor I'm sure... wanted a glorious funeral when he died, but instead he was buried in an unmarked grave..."

The slight hint of disdain faded from Xander's face. "That's interesting, Crassus. I'm surprised that an Emperor can't even secure decent funeral rights..."

Antistius gave Xander an intense study. If he had any doubt about what he was about to do, he did not yield Xander the benefit of seeing it. "You'd be surprised at how little power the Emperor has when compared to the will of the Roman people... especially the Praetorian Guard..."

Xander frowned. "I hate the Praetorian Guard... they shouldn't have any power but the power to protect the Emperor. Clearly, they haven't been doing a good job lately..."

Antistius grasped his clay cup of poison and pulled it out into view. Antistius shook his head in agreement with Xander. "You're right about that..."

Xander felt uncomfortable under Antistius' long stare. At length, he said, "Have you been drinking?"

Antistius gave Xander a weak grin. "No, I haven't... And I probably won't... I'd hate to waste this cup of rum though..."

"Well, then... I'll have a drink."

Buffy nudged Xander in the shoulder. "Xander..." she whispered. "You already drank enough rum..."

"It's the last one, I swear," Xander told her.

"The best for last," Antistius said, handing Xander a small clay cup. "You must drink it."

Xander took the handleless cup. He was distracted then by the sight of Willow walking towards them. Her eyes were locked on his and she looked angry at what he was going to do.

"I don't know if I should..." Xander whispered softly.

"Just take a good sip, my friend," Antistius said.

Xander saw Willow shaking her head in dissatisfaction.

"Well, damn, drink it!" Antistius insisted.

Without a thought Xander swallowed it down. The rum stung like fire as it simmered a path to his stomach. No rum had ever tasted so strong. He began choking and coughing.

Antistius laughed. "I guess he's drank enough, huh!"

The fire began to intensify. "This is rum?" Xander let out.

"Yes," Antistius said, smiling, "it just has a sensation

al taste. It's like fire."

Buffy watched Xander in shock for long minutes. The music of the harpist continued as if at a distance, as if from another world. Was he dying? She saw Xander clutch his stomach in agony and her tone suddenly turned dark, "What did you give him! The rum doesn't taste like that!"

Appearing from the crowd, Willow came to Xander's side, attentively staring into his eyes to see if her friend was all right.

"Xander! What's wrong! What's happening to you!" Willow's sudden appearance made Xander's eyes light up. He could hear her breath get caught in her throat as she looked upon him. "Oh God... Xander..."

Xander dropped the clay cup in his hand with a loud smash and turned to look at Antistius, who was now standing beside Willow. Xander grabbed at his toga but Antistius pushed his hands fiercely away as he stared hatefully at him.

"You... Why?" Xander managed to say in shaky gasps as he lifted his arms in pain and placed them at Antistius' hips.

Buffy watched, paling as she shook her head in terrified disbelief; she looked at Antistius. "You poisoned him!"

Antistius could feel the Romans assembling around the scene. He turned around instinctively and rushed desperately away through the crowd. He immediately ran towards the gates of Palatine Hill as many Romans swarmed around Xander.

"Xand, are you all right, baby?" A blur, which was holding his shoulder asked. Xander nodded mutely at Buffy's words as he heard Willow's voice tremble something. He tried to decipher what she said but suddenly his knees dropped down to the ground. Collapsing on the marble shuddering, Xander's eyes began to water.

He could feel a rush of footsteps surround him. He could feel the world blur around him.  
And all he saw was white.

He realized what the man called Crassus had done to him. He had poisoned him.

Buffy and Willow looked down at their friend and could see that Xander was turning gray. He was dying. Looking into his eyes, they could see they were glazed and that he was in pain. There was blood dripping from his lips, trickling down his neck, staining his toga.

Arriving to the scene, Cato could see Xander laying, his body shaking, on the marble with Buffy and Willow next to him, trying to withstand a physical beating he was receiving from within.

"Oh god... he's poisoned isn't he?" Cato asked the girls.

Feeling helpless just as she felt Willow was, Buffy clawed out her blonde hair in frustration. "What should we do!"

Xander could feel his heart beginning to race. Thudding in his throat and chest, he felt as if his heart was going to explode. Short of breath, his chest hurt and he began to sweat excessively. Hands trembling, he gripped his throat and tried to prevent himself from swallowing the rest of the poison.

"Xander? Xander! Damn it, ans... no!"

Cato. Relief and dismay assaulted him with equal force at the introduction of his friend's voice. With horror, Xander realized his friend must have screamed out loud. It was his fault he was in this position. Squeezing his eyes shut, he knew what he had to do to get out of it.

As he expected, the pain increased as he sucked in his stomach. Chewing on his bloody bottom lip, Xander grunted as he gagged. Further time enduring the poison would only cause him to suffer more, he was sure. The pain deserted him quickly as the poison came out of his mouth, but he discovered he couldn't do anything more than focus on his breathing. Weakly pounding his fist into the marble floor, he gritted his teeth.

Unsteadily lifting himself upward, Xander surveyed the disarray of the wetness covering the floor and most of his toga. Gagging as the rotten stench of the poison filled his nostrils, he was relieved his stomach was empty of anything to vomit. He opened his mouth, breathing carefully to avoid the smell now assimilating the square. Close it out. He had to close it out. Striking his eyes shut, he put up a mental image of Buffy. He had to pretend the awfulness he was trapped with hadn't gotten worse. He had to think about someone that would greet him when he opened his eyes again.

Strengthening his resolve, he opened his eyes and tried to maintain the invention he'd created. His eyes briefly examined the square, the Romans faces all staring in awe at what they were seeing. At last, he saw Buffy, her face torn and moistened with tears as she watched him. Scampering over to her, he cursed his trembling legs as they shifted uncontrollably around, dropping him back to the marble floor. He cringed, suddenly afraid he was going to black out and never wake up.

Sagging down, hands clamped on her friend's shoulder, Buffy let out a shaky breath.

Xander whipped his eyes up, staring directly into equally bewildered green eyes.

"Xander? Is the poison out of you? Is it gone?" Buffy mumbled, her words tripping out so fast they ran together.

Beneath the gray streaks, Xander's face went completely colorless, eyes widening in realization. His mouth moved a couple of times, a shrill of air the only thing to come forth as he nodded his head. Finally the ability to speak returned. "Oh, god! I'm sorry I drank that... I'm such a fool."

Smiling, Buffy started to believe him as the shock wore off. "Can you get up yourself?" she gently prodded.

"Yes." Xander struggled to his feet, shivering visibly as he held out his arms and was straightened by Buffy. Xander finally could see the hundreds of Romans surrounding him with a clear vision, wearing the same face they had when they saw the Emperor earlier that night. He half expected the Romans to rush and embrace him. The mess on himself and the marble he knew, was probably the reason they didn't.

He stood beside Willow, spreading his other arm around her shoulder.

Cato looked puzzled and stunned but joined them as he patted Xander in the back. "Quite a display there, Xander..."

"Oh, thanks," Xander breathed, suddenly awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. He found himself soothed and perplexed at his friend's words. "I should just get back to what I was doing then..."

"No, no, no," Buffy insisted, glaring into Cato's eyes. "This is not a joke, Cato."

Cato blinked at her, face frowning as he looked away. "I wasn't joking."

Buffy looked at Xander, wondering if he had the energy to walk to the well. While she sensed that he was physically strong enough to make it to the well, she worried whether he might collapse from fatigue.

Buffy kissed his cheek. "I love you... Xander."

Willow caught Buffy's eyes as they walked and the two laughed, scarcely believing that their friend had survived.

Willow suddenly grew serious and glanced at Xander. "What was that man's name?"

"He was, um... Crassus," Xander fumbled to explain.

Willow winced at the sound of the assassin's name. "We should get some soldiers to go after him."

"That's not his real name," Xander continued in measured tones, "he wouldn't have gave his full name to me if he planned on poisoning me."

Willow paused. Cato and Buffy waited.

"He must have thought you wouldn't survive..." Willow explained.

"No..." Xander stood forward, his face defiant and flushing, his body rigid. "I've seen him before... at your house, Cato..." Xander glanced at Cato, then to Buffy. "He was one of the attackers that raided his house..."

Buffy gasped. "Are you sure?"

"He still could have the same name," Willow pressed.

Xander stared at the horses. The horses could be heard restlessly stamping in the square. He was tempted to run to the horses and ride one of them to pursue his assassin.

But he took in a deep breath and faced Willow. "I don't think that's his name..."

Xander then turned and began walking with Buffy at his side, to wherever she was taking him, with Cato and Willow not far behind.

They reached the well, the rest of the Romans gone from sight and no sign of anyone's presence.

Xander frowned. What was that guy's name? It made no sense- he knew the man's face from the raid on Cato's house, why can't he pinpoint a name? His head started to hurt again, turning into a dull throb when he stepped out of his toga and saw that the toga was filled with his vomit and blood. He was sickened just thinking about vomiting out the poison.

"I...uh, thought you said there was water here, Buffy?" Xander stared blankly around the group.

"It's here... just give me a second, Xand," Buffy said. She looked into the small well and grabbed a wet cloth that was already inside.

"Okay." Xander heard the splatter of water from inside the well and relaxed a little. "So... Cato and Willow... you guys like how I got rid of the poison?"

"I wish I could find that guy again," Willow growled, angry that Xander had gone through all that because she had given the assassin directions of where he was. "I knew something was wrong with him when he said the last time he saw you was in five years."

Xander turned to stare at Willow. "What? You met him?"

Buffy scrubbed furiously with the wet cloth at his arms and legs, though the blood and vomit had washed away.

"Only for a moment... he knew your name and everything, I thought he was a drunk friend of yours," Willow commented with a mental shudder.

The comment was so unexpected that Xander didn't know quite what to say. He hoped that what Willow said wasn't true, but he accepted the fact that she had led the assassin straight to him with a nod of his head. "So... Who sent him...?" he asked himself aloud.

"Pulcher." Buffy finally stopped scrubbing Xander's nude body and stood up to stare into his eyes. "We just met him the day before... and you said you remembered the assassin's face from the raid..."

"Pulcher... How would he know I'm... Oh," Xander said, realizing he had mentioned Cimberius to Pulcher. He took a few steps, his body dripping all the way as he stood next to Cato. "When I met Pulcher, I told him about Cimberius and he had a hunch I'd be here at his funeral so he sent one of his men to kill me..."

"Pulcher?" Cato asked. "Who's that?"

"Yeah... Xand... Who is Pulcher?" Willow joined in as well.

"He's the most dangerous man in Rome," Xander quietly replied. "He's caused the murder of many people I hold dear..." Xander let his eyes settle on Cato. "Including your wife and daughter..."

Cato wiped his eyes of tears and tried to maintain his composure. "He?"

"I'm sorry... Cato..." Xander stated sincerely. He could feel both the women looking at his privates, and he felt a nervous sort of relief. "I was wondering when you would look..." he said sardonically, glancing at Willow, then Buffy. "At least Buffy..."

There was some nervous, spotty laughter in response, and then Xander's voice- still calm and casual- added, "Seriously, though... guys... get me some clothes... This rain is really making me cold..."

Antistius glanced at his home. It stood on the north side of the Colosseum, the third building ahead of the Baths of Titus. The cottage was a three-story whitestone, the lower floors bulged into large alcove windows, its roof rose to a meager triangular tower. The tower was covered with small elliptic tiles arranged like the decorations on shields of Roman soldiers. Every door and window was framed by elaborate carved woodwork, each painted with a coating of plum.

Before Antistius crossed the street, a curtain flicked momentarily, and the front door opened. Antistius knew his lover was waiting there for him. She waved and motioned for him to come to the building.

Once he entered the house, his lover locked the door and double-checked, shaking the knob vigorously.

"How was the shipping of armory?" his lover asked.

"Good," Antistius replied. Even as he said it, he knew it wasn't true. He had fabricated the story the night before in attempt not to discuss a murder that was really planned. He had lied to Agrippa about almost everything he did, aside for the fact that he was a Praetorian Guard soldier.

Agrippa wagged her head from side to side, allowing her black hair to flop down her shoulders.

Antistius recognized the behavior. She wanted to keep the conversation light as well. He was suspecting her mood to be impassioned and he grinned. "Do you have your bedroom ready?"

She gave a short, anxious laugh and brushed a strand of hair from her face. Her eyes were mysterious.

"Let's go..." Antistius said. He headed up the stairs confidently. Taking his cue, she followed him.

Buffy walked across the twenty-yard gap of open ground to where Xander and Willow lay behind the oak tree. Xander wore a tattered cloak; barely more than a rag and blue breeches, the latter a product of a soldier, Buffy guessed. Xander and Willow seemed to be calmly relaxing with one another as she got closer to the tree. Willow was eating something, though at this distance Buffy could not see what it was.

"I see that you found some clothes, Xander," Buffy said.

"Yeah... there was a robe laying at a bath nearby... I took that and got some breeches from Duratius... a friend of mine," Xander said.

"I was thinking," Buffy said. "We should take one horse and follow Willow and Cato while they're on another."

Xander was silent a long time while considering it. "That's a good idea..." He turned to face Willow. "How far is Cornelius' home from here?"

Willow broke off the last piece of bread and chewed on it. "About twenty minutes," she said.

"Where's Cato?" Buffy wanted to know.

"He's with the horses," Xander replied. "I think they remind him of Sunset and Stormy."

"What ever happened to his horses?" Buffy asked.

Xander was silent for a few moments before replying, "They got sick... They're still alive to my knowledge... I didn't want to risk their lives by bringing them to Rome." Buffy stared at him in stony silence, and he thought he had offended her. He stared right back. "I liked those horses."

"Are you ready to go?" Willow questioned softly. Her voice held no urgency, only gentle questioning.

"Yes. I'm looking forward to sleeping..." Xander turned his attention back to Willow. "And just sleeping... No offense to Dawn... and ah-"

Buffy sat down on the grass beside Xander, seeking his eyes. "And who?"

Willow flushed. "I don't think Xander told you..."

"So I see," Buffy nodded, looking deep into his eyes. "Who is it, Xander?" she acted slightly disturbed.

Xander raised his eyebrows lightly in question. "Who? Oh... um... Brittany..." Xander started to shake his head, but was stopped when Buffy slapped him hard across his face.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Xander sighed. He thought Buffy judged his action too harshly, especially since she herself did not tell him about Spike after many weeks of sleeping with him. That was a more serious issue Xander felt than not telling Buffy about Brittany.

Xander changed the subject, turning a question back on Willow, "Can you tell me why you brought Brittany?"

Willow shrugged her shoulders, staring at Xander. "She was nice and she was more determined than I was to find you... In fact, she attacked me... thinking I was the reason why you guys were sent here..."

Xander bit his lip and gently placed his hands on his friend's shoulders. "I'm also guilty of that... and I apologize..."

Buffy scooted forward slightly. "Can we get back to Sunnydale... to the present?" Buffy asked Willow softly.

Willow gave Buffy a slightly withering glance, but the corner of her mouth twitched in an almost smile. "I don't know," she admitted.

"What's making you smile?" Buffy asked, settling herself back on the tree and pulling her knee up to her chest.

"Many things," Willow sighed, gazing out to the full moon.

"Like..." Xander prodded.

Willow shot them both a wry grin. "Being with you guys... even though..."

"You don't like what we're doing, do you?" Buffy queried softly. "I've seen it in your eyes."

Willow sighed deeply and met her friend's eyes at last. "No. I don't like it. And yet... I know it's right. You guys are truly a great couple..." there was a struggle behind Willow's blue eyes that Buffy did not fully comprehend.

"I know it's hard... he's your best friend and I'm your best friend... but that won't change..." Buffy started, but Xander shook his head, cutting her off.

"It'll change things of course... just on a sexual level..."  
Willow's brows furrowed deeply. "So we're going to be sexual friends?"

"Just between Buffy and I... never mind..." Xander smiled slightly up at the worried faces around him, "Buffy you can finish what you were saying..."

Buffy laughed softly. "No, Xand... I think you hit it right on the nose there."

"I agree." Willow gazed at Xander. "Thanks for being honest."

"When have I not been honest with you...?" Xander thought for a moment. Then he remembered his fling with Cordelia. "Oh... no problem."

Willow batted her eyes at Xander in a look of innocence.

The three laughed happily together.

All of a sudden their laughter was interrupted by the sounds of a horse galloping across the grass. They turned to see a small man slip out of his saddle from behind the tree. The man scratched the back of his neck and stood still, staring at them. Xander could see the concentrated look on the young man's face. He knew something serious was about to be said.

"I have important information about the person that poisoned you, Xander," the man told the group, and then he took Xander aside out of hearing distance, where they were joined by a soldier and a few other men who seemed to have a claim to being the man's friends.

"Why do you think he wanted me dead?" Xander asked the man. "Am I in danger?"

"I guess I should have suspected something when I saw him," the man replied. The words in his mouth sounded calm, but his skin was sweaty and his abdomen grew tighter. He turned his eyes to the soldier, who was brandishing his sword a few yards away, and desperately wished he could have someone else tell Xander what he had in mind.

"You know who did this to me?" Xander's voice broke.

He gave Xander a tight nod, his blonde hairs bobbing about his pale face.

"Thank god! Who is he?" Xander whispered, reasonably controlled. "And why do you have a bunch of men with you?"

He seemed to consider the second question, but attempted to answer the first.

"Antistius... a member of the Praetorian Guard."

Xander just stared at him. The name was on Cimberius' list. He had wasted so much time thinking of his name when the name had been on the list all along.

"Why do you have a bunch of men with you?" Xander repeated.

"We know where he is."

Xander felt anger rising in him towards Antistius, but his exhaustion kept him in check. "Not tonight... my friend."

"He's not protected in the Praetorian Guard Camp... If we don't do it now, you won't get a better chance again..."

Xander shook his head. "I don't understand... why do you want him dead?"

The man leaned forward. "He led his men to my house... beat my wife and children... They wanted to find you and Buffy... They made a mistake by coming into my house..." His eyes grew large as his temper began to show, "I want to tear through his body. I want a sword to cut him in two... I want him dead!" Walking to the large soldier on his knees, he tapped him on the back, "give him your armor and sword..." As he finished speaking, he gave Xander a stomach-churning grin. "I'm just a merchant... you're a soldier..."

Raising his eyebrows, Xander smirked. "You're kidding me, right?"

Standing up, the soldier walked toward Xander and pushed the armor and sword into his arms. He gestured his head to a horse standing next to the messenger. "There's your ride."

Looking at the soldier, Xander said, "I got a horse, thank you." He dropped the sword onto the grass and held the armor in his hands. When he was done looking through the armor, his gaze returned to the messenger and his voice hissed, "This is made of wood!"

The soldier picked up the sword from the grass and studied it. He then looked up at Xander and gave it to him again. "I made this sword myself... you better treat it good."

Xander sighed as he accepted the sword, "Why can't you get revenge yourselves?"

Leaning one hand on the horse offered to him by the soldier and the other on his hip, the messenger raised his voice, "Like I said... you're a soldier and I'm a merchant. I'm not strong enough to do the job..."

Xander's eyes met the messenger's glare. "But what about him?" He moved his head in the soldier's direction. "He's strong enough."

Silence filled the air, as the messenger hopped on the horse. He turned to the remaining two men and motioned them to follow. "Let's go..." He glanced back at the soldier. "Antyllus... guide him to where Antistius is staying..."

The taller of the four men, the soldier nodded and stepped forward to Xander. "I'm Antyllus Celsus Petronius. I've been a member of Severus' twelfth legion for a couple of months. The man who talked to you earlier is a good friend of mine... He's wanted me to get rid of Antistius for a while... From what you can see, I haven't granted his wish... But I feel you would have a better motive than I to make it possible..."

A few seconds followed and Xander, assuming the soldier was done speaking, turned to leave.

Antyllus' voice was strained as he called out, "Xander..."

With a deep breath, Xander turned back to meet the frustrated eyes of the soldier. Slowly, he returned to where he was standing, knowing what was coming. "I've had a long day... and I just want to be with my friends..."

Antyllus swallowed hard, cringing at Xander's words. "You would have been dead if you hadn't vomited the poison..." His eyes widened as he thought about Antistius. "You heard my friend... This is your only chance... He'll only come back to try to kill you again..."

Xander glared up at the soldier, mustering all the strength he had to finish the conversation. "Damn it! I don't need this burden... How far is his place?"

Nodding his head, Antyllus replied, "Fifteen minutes."

It took a second for Xander's mind to process each new piece of information. "You'll be by my side, right?"

Antyllus nodded mutely.

"You have to tell me that your friend is telling the truth... that Antistius is unprotected," Xander added unhappily. He wanted, needed to be safe, to see his friends again.

"He's telling the truth, sir," Antyllus explained. "We needed to insure that it was possible to kill Antistius, without the guard of the Praetorians. My friend, Fulgentius, the one whose family was beaten by him tracked Antistius once he poisoned you. This was our only way of pinpointing his location. I'm very sorry about what happened..."

Xander's brow furrowed and he nodded, accepting his reasoning. "I want revenge on Antistius... not only for me, but for a part he had in the death of a woman and child I knew..."

Antyllus patted his shoulder, "I understand, my friend. If I were you, I wouldn't hesitate and I'd take advantage of the defenseless position Antistius is in. Now you go get your horse... and meet me back here."

Xander was silent as he watched Antyllus cross the grass and stand still in the clearing. Xander chuckled. "Wow..."

Xander yelled across the grass for Cato to bring a horse to him and get the horse ready. Just then he felt Buffy's presence near him. His eyes searched around, looking beside him and all around, but he couldn't see her. Turning back to face behind him, there she was, standing tall and looking at him. She gave him one of those heart melting smiles at him.

Xander stared at her for a moment, taking in how the moonlight shone on her face. How it made her eyes more mysterious, and how it made her skin seem more smoother. His eyes stopped at her lips, which he yearned to taste, but found himself reluctant to have something as a kiss prevent him from going after Antistius.

"What's wrong, Xander?" The question was asked so softly and gently that he was barely able to tell if he had heard it or imagined it.

Turning his eyes away from her, and staring at Cato coming towards him on horseback, he casually answered, "Nothing."

"What did those men want? Why are you leaving?" She demanded, her voice calm, and her eyes now looking concerned.

Xander stood quietly, thinking of what she had said. He knew that explaining the reason to her would take longer than he or Antyllus wanted.

"I'll tell you after I come back," Xander said, as though trying to convince himself the task he was about to do would be a walk in the park.

"Just tell me! You hide Brittany... now this!" She cried, turning back to the tree where Willow was sitting.

Xander knew she wouldn't judge him for his actions or stop him from doing what he wanted to do. That was what he liked best about her, aside from his attraction to her personality and good looks. He smiled softly at her. "Don't worry... I want you to wait here with Willow... catch up with all the time you gals lost... I'll be back in an hour..."

She smiled, and turned her head to face him, her green eyes mesmerizing him. He suddenly noticed that she didn't have on her trademark flowing blonde hair but instead the hair was messy with curls.

"We already have!" Buffy said happily, rubbing her hand through her hair, messing it up some more as she approached him.

His heart raced at her approach, but he quickly reacted, putting his hand to her chest. Xander felt her shiver with his touch, and looked up at her face to see a blush that was mostly covered by the moonlight.

"What are you doing!" she yelped.

He moved his hand onto her arm and pulled her closer to him, needing to feel her warmth.

She rested her forehead on his shoulder, smelling in the unpleasant scent of the poison he had swallowed. She didn't try to push him away, or tell him that he still carried that horrific smell. The emotion she felt in the hug was too great for her to move.

"Promise me you'll be okay?" she asked as she raised her forehead to look at him.

He looked at her beautiful green eyes and was so entranced by her look that he almost lost control and kissed her.

She leaned her forehead against his, resting it there as she said, "I want you to be with me tonight."

He was about to lose control at her closeness to him, but he kept his head and decided to keep talking to distract himself.

"You know I can handle myself. I know I can... You don't have to worry about me now... Especially after I survived a poisoning..." he said, tears stinging at his eyes as he leaned back, putting distance between her and himself.

"I want you to stay," her soft voice whispered, making him feel more reluctant about leaving.

He felt his tears stop while still holding Buffy, not wanting to let her go. "I have to..."

She drew back far enough so she could see his face and gave him a smile she only reserved for him. A half-smile.

"Oh, hell," Xander said before letting his desire take control.

He tasted her soft lips, never wanting this moment to end, to never let the warming feeling he felt kissing her to leave him, but reluctantly did so for air.

"Kissing her goodnight, I see, Xander... Where are you going with my boy?" Cato asked, halting the horse forward, fitting the horse into a tiny space between Buffy and Xander.

"I'll tell you when I come back," Xander said to Cato, taking the reins from his hand. "You wait with Buffy and Willow for me to return."

Cato glanced at Buffy. "Where is he going?"

Buffy licked her lips, shrugging. "He gave me the same answer."

Cato tilted his head in Xander's direction. "Why not now?"

"Because we don't have time," Antyllus interrupted as he walked over to Buffy and gave her a nod of welcome.

Cato slowly got down from the horse, not taking his eyes off the soldier. "Who the hell are you?"  
"I'm Antyllus," he told Cato.

Buffy extended her hand to the stranger, impressed by his herculean stature. "I'm Buffy."

Antyllus took her hand into his hands and gently kissed her palm. "Nice to meet you, Buffy."

"I don't know if you saw," Xander said, climbing up into the saddle of the horse. "But she's my-"

"I didn't know you had a sister, Xander." Antyllus adjusted the stirrups for Xander's feet and then jumped on the same horse behind him.

"Well I happen to be a big fan of incest," Xander answered, raising his eyebrows at Buffy and Cato.

Buffy and Cato laughed.

Without another word, Xander tapped the tall horse with his heels and led them through the square and towards the gate.

Xander and Antyllus continued on to the three-story building Antyllus described to him. Xander's horse- one of the ones taken from Gerasa- trotted along in a nervous attitude, frightened by all the noises in the city and by the water ditches he had to cross that were covered only by narrow boards.

They approached the building from behind, and it looked to Xander to be no more than a random assemblage of cottages and broken-down buildings, connected in place by walls and ceilings. It did not appear half as strong as Antyllus had told him- as he expected since Antyllus had not seen the building before either. Xander wondered why the two of them were rushing into a possible death trap without knowledge of the insides of the house. Where would they find Antistius?

"The goddam snide is within those walls!" Antyllus shouted at the rear of the triangular-roofed building.

There was an expanse of water behind the building, and as Xander rode the horse over it, the horse slipped and Xander fell onto the muddy ground. But he was unhurt.

"Haven't rode a horse in a while, huh?" Antyllus laughed.

Xander climbed back on the saddle laughing at himself, and as he urged the horse to hurry to the building, the mud that covered him flew off his body in long, wet plaits.

"What the hell!" Antyllus asked loudly, the mud splattering in his direction. His eyes flashed to Xander. "You're getting me dirty!"

"Oh, well," Xander went on dryly, "It's just mud..."

Antyllus did not reply. His thoughts, Xander knew, were on the plans to get into the building and find a way to kill Antistius.

As they continued, a shadow of a flying hawk rippled across the muddy ground in front of them. Xander looked up to see the bird flying low in the night spring sky, so low that he could see its penetrating eyes as it scanned the earth. He remembered seeing a similar hawk in the morning after he woke up. It had been a very long day, Xander realized.

"If what Fulgentius says is true," Xander said at last, "if he is unprotected... does that mean we'll kill him when he's sleeping?"

"Of course not," Antyllus said. "Do you think I'm a barbarian? I'll let the man wake up if he is sleeping."

The horse was almost out of breath when Xander finally stopped and dismounted in the back of the building, which was itself unguarded by a plethora of windows and lights.

"Thank you for the ride, Xander," Antyllus said, jumping from the horse to the ground. "It seems you thought wisely for our entrance."

"Your welcome..." he said, holding a firm grip to Antyllus' sword. Xander turned abruptly to Antyllus. "Where's your sword?"

Antyllus wearily shook his head and directed his reply to the skies. "I don't need a sword..."

"What makes you think I need a sword?" Xander asked.

"I don't know," Antyllus said. "If I had been poisoned only hours before, I would want to make sure I'd have a weapon..."

"Then you felt sorry for me, that's it?"

"Yes," Antyllus replied. "Of course I did. All of the Romans who saw you at the funeral only felt sympathy for you..."

Xander grew quiet for a moment, listening to the distant rumbling coming from the third floor of the house.

Xander saw from Antyllus' face that he was hearing it too.

"He's got company," Xander guessed.

"I believe you are right."

Xander turned to him, and seeing his eyes he gave a sharp, frightened nod of understanding.

Antyllus glanced at the slightly opened back window. "We go through there and we go directly to where the noises are coming from."

They stood where they were for just a moment more to make sure the window was open. It was. Then Xander and Antyllus ran through the brush, their eyes trained on the eerie noises coming from the third floor above them.

Xander slipped the sword in his waistband and ran along the wall of the house to the window where Antyllus was already climbing through. When Antyllus was done he glanced around the back, saw no one, and ran to the window. With his face inside the house, he quickly pushed himself through the small window and sucked in his body, trying to keep his stomach flat and his movements steady.

Xander fell silently into the house, the sound of his entry muted by Antyllus' arms. Once on his feet, Xander started running for the stairs, but Antyllus held up his hand and whispered, "Wait!"

Antyllus listened for any changes in the noises from upstairs. There was none. He could still hear the noises of panting and moans.

"That's a woman," Antyllus said. "We'll have to kill her too."

Xander's eyes widened in horror. "What? No..." he said. "You told me the only person we're killing is Antistius."

"He was... but if there is a witness, we could be in trouble."

"No... We're not killing her," Xander said firmly as he and Antyllus crossed the room, "I refuse to be a part of this if we kill her."

"Then give me my sword..." Antyllus said, stopping to stare into Xander's eyes.

Xander's mouth opened in shock. He could feel the determination and hate in Antyllus' eyes piercing through him.

"Give me it!" Antyllus cried.

"Alright!" Xander said loudly, nodding his head in compliance.

Antyllus frowned. "I knew you wouldn't have it in you."

"Oh I have it in me..." Xander smashed Antyllus across the face with the butt of the sword, causing him to fall. He scowled and looked down at the unconscious soldier. "I never liked you anyway..."

Xander did not bother to look at him again. He walked to the other end of the house in the solitude of his own hopelessness. The man he had wanted and needed at his side for the murder was knocked out cold, lying sprawled out on the floor. Xander resolved at that moment to find out if Antistius had any remorse for his attempted murder of him and to find out why his name was on Cimberius' list before any thought of killing him was present in his mind. He did not want to kill Antistius so much as he wanted the truth and reasoning of his actions to suffice his own enormous ache in his heart.

Xander stopped at the main staircase. He had the sword in his hand, ready to use it if he needed to. He wondered if Antistius had heard the loud yelling from the first floor. The main part of his plan was to catch Antistius by surprise. He knew if that element was gone, he would be in grave danger.

Xander took a deep breath and began his ascension up the stairs to confront Antistius.

Antistius was crushing his lips passionately with his lover. Their kisses were hot and ravenous, both determined to splash their souls into their connection. Antistius growled into her mouth as he settled himself between her thighs. He pressed his penis enjoyably between her swollen pussy. She bucked her hips smoothly, telling him that she was ready and growing impatient.

Antistius entered her without hesitation and he watched Agrippa's expressions flow over her face. He could see lust, relief, and love. Her eyes were dark with arousal and he could also see small tears arising up in the corners.

Agrippa met each thrust, never leaving his gaze. She watched his face blemish as he neared his reprieve. Just the sight of him so close to her, brought her to a climax. She fought to keep her eyes open so that she could see him. She breathed quickly as she came. She knew she could never get that pleasure from anyone else but Antistius. No one could fuck her half as good as he did.

Antistius rolled to Agrippa's side and brought her face to his. Her lips were soft and delicate. He could tell there was something different with their kiss. He could feel her tears on his cheeks and he opened his eyes to see her staring intensely back at him. He pulled away slightly.

"Agrippa, why are you looking at me like that?"

Agrippa hadn't realized that she didn't close her eyes at all during their kiss. She didn't want to close her eyes. She hadn't seen him for two weeks, she didn't want to lose another minute. "Antistius, I'm sorry. I don't want to close my eyes and then to have them open, and you're gone."

"Agrippa, I'm here. I'm not Considius. I'm not leaving you." He kissed her lips lightly and moved to her cheeks, down her jaw, then up to her eyelids. He looked down at her and smiled. "You really know how to brighten a man's day."

The door creaked open to their room.

Agrippa looked at Antistius quizzically. "Antistius, what was that?"

"It's just the wind..." Antistius assured, leaning in for another kiss.

"I don't think it is..."

Both Antistius and Agrippa whipped their heads in the direction of the voice, only to find a black-clad armored man standing next to the door. The man had his left hand on his hip, and the other pointing a sword in Antistius' direction. His body remained mostly obscured in the shadows, save for the moonlight sparkling off his sword.

Antistius' throat felt dry, but he swallowed anyway. Searching his mind, he tried to find the right words. The voice sounded exactly like Xander's, the man he poisoned. He knew that Xander was dead. He couldn't be alive, he thought.

Antistius sat there, his heart beating irregularly and quickly. It was only when the mysterious man moved across the room that he placed his arm around Agrippa and leaned against the headboard. She leaned onto him, frightened, trying to find comfort on his muscular chest.

"What's going on? Who is that?" Agrippa whispered frantically into Antistius' ear.

Antistius bit his lip, feeling his pulse drum throughout his throat. He involuntarily tightened his arms around her, feeling as if she left him, he would be defenseless to the man's assault.

The man moved in front of them, eyeing Antistius up and down, as Agrippa watched.

Antistius now knew that it was Xander. A coldness settled into the bottom of his spine. How did the son of a bitch survive? He wondered.

"Xander, so good to see you again," Antistius drawled.

Xander held his sword and leaned against the bedpost, his movements indicating purposeful indifference. "You're not Crassus, are you?" he sneered at Antistius. No compromise or diplomatic features covered his face.

Antistius was not used to seeing that aspect of Xander and it suddenly made him fear for his and Agrippa's welfare. "Would killing me and my girlfriend solve anything? You can just turn me in for punishment..."

"Did you rape and murder a young girl?" Xander asked, trailing the tip of the sword down Antistius' chest. Antistius bristled but he kept the reaction to himself.

"I never raped or murdered anyone," Antistius said coldly as he pushed the sword away from him. Agrippa made a move to hit Xander but Antistius waved her off.

"Well... I know you were involved in the murders of a woman and child... the question I'm asking you is how were you involved?" Xander asked calmly and watched Antistius loosen his grip on his girlfriend.

"Leave you fucker," Antistius replied in a menacing tone.

Xander raised his eyebrows and smiled, then turned to Agrippa. "Is he like this with you in bed?"

When Xander was met with a blank, guilty look from Agrippa, he turned back to Antistius. "I won't leave until you tell me the truth... Antistius."

Antistius gave Xander a disgusting smile that had Xander wondering if there really wasn't a snake in there somewhere.

"I'm impressed... Xander... It's amazing how you found me in less than a few hours... I wish I could have found you in that time when you were hiding with your blonde bitch..."

"Bastard!" Xander pulled Antistius from his embrace with his girlfriend and threw him into a cabinet, causing some of the items on it to fall. "Stay back, woman!" Xander yelled, gesturing Antistius' girlfriend with his sword.

Crawling across the floor silently, Antistius attempted to stand.

Xander reached out and assisted in bringing Antistius to his feet. He grabbed a gold hold of his neck as he held the sword to his bare waist.

Antistius froze. He knew that Xander really wanted to know the truth of his involvement in the mother and child's deaths. However, the thought of him admitting to raping and murdering a young girl in front of Agrippa would be a mistake, he realized.

"Obviously you're not hearing me correctly," Xander spat.

Antistius snorted. "You're not going to kill me until I tell you my involvement..."

"I already know you're involved!" Xander yelled.

"So why don't you kill me?" Antistius asked.

"What," Xander started. "What did you do?" After Antistius did not acknowledge the question, he cried, spit coming out of his mouth, "What did you do!"

"I bet you're wondering what I did to that little girl," Antistius said, the venom in his voice clearly warning Xander he wasn't going to like what he heard, and knew that by continuing to make him angry, he'd allow Agrippa to come up from behind and attack him.

"What did you do?" Xander was too busy preventing himself from stabbing Antistius with his sword to notice Agrippa moving behind him to the foot of the bed. Removing a knife silently from underneath the mattress, she slowly began to tiptoe towards Xander.

"You want to know what I did? Don't you?" Antistius asked.

Xander could tell by the arrogant sound of his voice that he was buying time, hoping to distract him.

"Come on... you want to know..." Antistius continued.

"It won't work, Antistius."

Antistius didn't say anything for the moment, then blurted out, "She was a good fuck, that's all she was!"

Xander's rage suddenly flared. As he lifted his sword, preparing to stab Antistius, he heard a furious scream from behind.

Xander knew the woman was going to attack him and he turned his sword instinctively to protect himself. Instantly the attacking woman's chest was impaled by the sword.

Xander held his sword firmly, unintentionally keeping the woman's feet off the floor. He watched in horror as he saw that she was moving her mouth. But instead of words coming out, blood spewed down her lips.

Antistius saw an opportunity he couldn't waste and ran for Xander, who was trying to remove his sword from his lover's stomach.

Antistius flung his right fist against Xander's jaw and jabbed his left hand knuckles into his sternum.

"You murderer!" Antistius exclaimed in outrage, gripping Xander's neck, bringing his whole body to the ground.

Antistius tightened his grip on Xander's neck, choking him. Xander gave a low throat gargle as the Praetorian Guard soldier pressed his body against him, not allowing him to sit up. Realizing his right leg was not securely pinned to the floor, Xander harshly flung his right knee into his crotch.

Antistius let go of his neck and violently fell backwards to the floor.

Xander stood up and looked at the impaled woman's chest, a small puddle of blood slowly began to surround her body and soak Antistius, who was trying to get to his feet.

Xander gave Antistius a well-placed kick to the ribs, rolling him over, away from the woman's body.

"You raped and murdered a young girl... How do you feel!" Xander yelled.

Antistius rolled across the floor, as Xander's knee collided with the floor. Antistius quickly got back to his feet, and looked over to the small pool of blood that Agrippa's wound had made.

"I felt great... I made her suffer... scream my name..." Antistius spit out menacingly. "The soldiers had to wait longer than expected..."

"Fucker!"

A hard gasp of shock sprung from Antistius as Xander's fist rammed into a sequence of multiple blows, causing more damage as he ran. Before he knew it, Antistius was flying with Xander's last uppercut to finish the sequence, having delivered a brutal blow to the jaw.

Antistius was tossed across the air and into a large window, its glass shattering into small pieces.

Xander looked over at Antistius, who was leaning against the broken glass, trying to catch his breath.

"Why'd you have to kill Agrippa?" Antistius said bitterly.

"I should be asking you the same question about Acacia and Illeana," Xander said testily.

"Fuck them!"

Xander stormed at Antistius and thrust his arms into his chest, pushing him out of the window.

A surprised glimpse came off Xander's eyes as he watched Antistius slip off the side of the roof of the alcove. His feet skidded off the many lines of whitestone and it caused him to fall down three stories onto the cobblestone street with a thump, one that made Xander wince.

Xander leaned over the window and stared hard at his body. Antistius lay on the ground, his mouth open in frozen shock, blood trickling down his mouth to join in his blackish pool of blood. He noticed that his eyes were open and blank. He was dead.

Xander staggered slightly. After a moment of silence and recovering his strength, he turned away from the window.

A mixture of great sadness and horror suddenly engulfed him at the sight of the dying woman in front of him.

"H-h-h-help m-m-me..." the woman spoke through choked words.

Xander had no intention of trying to save the woman, especially since she had lost almost all her blood. Before she could say another word, he reached and yanked the sword out from her chest, as quickly as his fatigued body could allow him.

The woman lifted her head, smiling weakly. "T-t-t-thank y-y-you."

Xander's heart started to violently beat. Without further hesitation, he forced the bloody sword back into her chest.


	27. The Dark Night of the Soul

Chronicles of a Roman Emperor: Chapter 27

The Dark Night of the Soul

His head pounded like a plumpish heart. The deep anguish of what he had just done made him want to puke.

The woman with the black hair lay dead on the floor beneath him. Her image blurred and melted around the edges of his eyes and for a moment he thought he was going blind from the tears rushing down his eyes. He squeezed his eyes close, then opened them again and let out a quivering breath. His sight was sharp and comprehensible once again, but he still didn't like what he saw. The young woman's face had a frozen look of complete terror. He could see the innocence shining from her eyes, and could all but see that she was just a person trapped at the wrong place, at the wrong time. This was no vicious, cold-blooded murderer, Xander thought to himself.

He leaned down and removed the sword from her chest. "God, forgive me," he said. He stood up, holding firmly to his sword as his vision blurred and got worse. He forced himself to focus, as he headed for a way out of the room. He wanted to leave the whitestone building as soon as possible, before anyone became aware of the brutality he had just imposed on Antistius and his lover.

His boots walked over the rigid, marble floor as he crossed the bed. I'm lucky to be alive, he thought. He had driven his sword into the woman at the exact moment he had turned around from Antistius. It took just a little over a second. If he had not turned that instant, he would have been the one lying dead on the floor.

Alert that Antyllus could still be in the whitestone building, Xander crept slowly outside of the room, walking with lightheadedness, hoping not to draw the man's attention if he had become conscious. Then following a few seconds, he ran down the narrow stairs. Once he had reached the first floor, he spotted from the corner of his eye the window he and Antyllus had entered the home through, and decided to head in that direction.

Xander stepped to the middle of the hallway and raised his sword, holding it steady with both hands. At the same time as he approached the window, his eyes narrowed onto the motionless, unconscious body of Antyllus.

"I'll see you around, asshole," Xander said in a voice he realized would be too low for Antyllus to hear. Just as he was about to taunt Antyllus some more, he heard shouting noises from outside the building. Xander swore under his breath, deciding at that moment to go ahead and start towards the window. He went into the large room where the window was located and lunged for it, knocking objects out of his way as he made a single dive for the outside.

After he had fallen onto the dirt, he felt slightly startled to find himself deserted outside, at the back of the building. It appeared the noises he heard were coming from the left side of the whitestone structure, where he had pushed Antistius out of a window. He wondered if he would be able to reach his horse before anyone noticed his presence. He did not waste any time however to ponder the notion and passed through the darkness as he headed north, away from the building, and towards his horse. The wide street, surrounded by stone buildings and flattened fences, lay in perfect arrangement, though the streets were overflowing with sewage and water. Through the darkness, he saw his horse standing dumbfounded in the middle of the street, shaking its nose from irritation and unaware of its owner's approach.

"Hey boy! Time to get going!" Xander called.

The horse looked up and exhaled noisily.

Xander took a few steps and mounted his horse. He was not excited about the notion of riding hard for most of his journey to Palatine Hill, but swiftness was of importance. A street so far removed from the rest of the buildings was an easy target for any witness who saw him, he thought. He patted his horse on its side lightly and for some odd reason, the idea suddenly excited and energized him. "Let's go!"

Buffy, Willow, and Cato sat uncomfortably on a stone bench inside the gates of Palatine Hill. For more than an hour, their excited feelings had diminished as an atmosphere of worried anticipation started to engross them. They were sensing that Xander may possibly not come back from his late night excursion.

Cato cleared his throat. "So, anyone know where he went and why?" His voice was spiked with frustration.

Buffy and Willow immediately became disheartened. Nervousness started to bite at each of them before they realized that they hadn't answered Cato's question.

"Thanks," he said, looking at them aggravatingly.

"You've asked us that question over five times already," Willow said in a low voice.

"…And you haven't given me an answer each time," Cato said bitterly.

"We would've told you if we knew, Cato. I already told you before that I didn't know," Buffy said sharply.

"Why do I find that hard to believe? You and Xander are inseparable. He would have told you…" Cato shot back, his temperament growing impatient.

Buffy looked uncomfortable. "Xander doesn't tell me many things, Cato."

"Cato," Willow said. "He'll be fine. He's survived this long in Rome and I'm sure he'll survive tonight," her voice was unsteady and suddenly hopeless. "Depending on what he is doing."

"He is doing something dangerous," Buffy said nervously. "I mean, he wouldn't have left with a soldier if it wasn't for a violent cause."

Cato steadied his face briefly before averting their gaze. "He was just poisoned," he said firmly. "You go from a point where you're near death and now you risk it again less than an hour later? It doesn't make any sense…"

"I love it," Buffy yawned widely, showing fine-looking teeth. "I know it's unsafe and all, but damn, he's really shown me another part of himself."

"Apparently he's already shown you a lot of his parts already," Willow commented with a smile.

As Xander neared the uneven plane of Palatine Hill, he saw that there were no lights coming from inside the gates. A slight unease pinched into his stomach and he wondered if his friends were still inside. Palatine Hill did have people inside the gates; he could hear distant voices of conversation between people as he jumped off his horse. He walked hastily over to the front gate so he could hear the voices clearly and it didn't take long for him to realize who they were.

It was Buffy, Willow, and Cato who spoke. They had a stressful tone in which they were speaking and Xander did his best to hide the enjoyment he felt at hearing their voices again. It was obvious to Xander that it wouldn't matter how he made his entrance. As long as they saw that he was alive and breathing, their discomfort would suddenly become happiness.

Xander shook the gate, drawing out a loud metallic noise that echoed from within the vicinity.

Buffy, Willow, and Cato turned to look at who had made the noise at the front gate.

Xander, sulking because of the long night he had, was leaned against the gate, wearing sturdy wooden armor and looking really thrilled despite the deep shadows under his eyes and the short curve of his mouth.

"Guys," Xander said. "Thanks for waiting."

Cato advanced to the gates and shook Xander's hands between the gates, looking bewildered, and Buffy and Willow who were watching Xander, had to admit that Xander looked handsome even with his tired and worn face.

Xander's eyes met Buffy's. He swallowed hard. "Hey Buffy."

She shifted her gaze away from his and clasped her hands before her uneasily. "Hi Xander…"

"I'm so happy to see you, Xander!" Willow said, her voice dripping with pleasure. "Where did you go?"

Xander's eyes lit up. He realized then that he had not formulated a fabricated story as to where he had been. "Oh… I just um…"

"Tell us what happened," Cato said.

Xander's eyes grew very large, noticing the uneasiness that now encircled the entire group. "Well… Antyllus just wanted to take me for drinking, that's all."

Buffy moistened her lips and swallowed hard. "Xander, we know you didn't go for a drink. Just tell us where you went. I would like to hear what went on."

Cato icily stared at Xander. "Yeah, you tell us what happened, boy."

Xander felt the pressure of their inquiring looks. He did not know what to say, so he merely stood back from the front gate and waited there, momentarily dazed on what to do. He sensed a shooting pain inside his stomach, the wretchedness of the poison he had released from his stomach hours before and the shame of what he had done moments ago overcoming him. He could feel a sob build up in his throat and he quickly eradicated it before he could let it out.

"Is there something wrong, Xander? You can tell us…" Willow said soothingly.

Xander didn't answer. He just exhaled deeply and stood where he was, as if he were in deep contemplation.

"Xander?" When Xander continued to be unresponsive, Willow redirected her gaze to the horse and the sword that was fixed firmly onto the saddle. The horse shifted and tilted its head, its hoofs restlessly stamping onto the wet cobbled street. Xander turned his head slightly in the direction where Willow was looking and frowned.

"Oh my god, Xander. That sword has blood-"

"That was already there, Willow," Xander told her impassively. "Are we going to go to Cornelius' before we all get sick here in the cold?"

"Yeah, Xander… there is some blood there," Cato said in a quiet voice as he stared harder at Xander.

"Xander's right, let's just go… I don't want to get sick…" Buffy said. She looked at Cato and Willow and they gave her a questionable look.

Xander gave Buffy a weak smile but she did not acknowledge it.

Cato nodded his head and opened the gate. He and Willow headed past him, with Buffy still standing behind.

Involuntarily, Buffy looked at Xander, and saw his mouth twist in a regretful response. She gave him a faint smile in return, feeling vaguely pleased. She had immense compassion for Xander, even if he was hiding something, and while she'd still have some questions for him, she could not help feeling glad that she had not allowed Willow and Cato to coerce answers from him that moment.

"Thanks," Xander said softly.

"You're right. We shouldn't risk being sick over this," Buffy muttered, barely loud enough for Xander to hear. She gave Xander a speculative look that Xander did not quite like, then frowned and raised her voice. "You'd better tell me the truth when we are at Cornelius'. I don't like what you're doing, Xander. It scares me."

"What? But Buffy I don't want-" Xander followed Buffy's glance as she turned to walk away and broke off in mid-sentence. He watched Buffy keep a respectful distance walking behind Willow and Cato, and Xander could almost feel the burn of their gazes focused on him. There was no hope now of hiding the truth from them, and no telling how it would affect his relationship with them. The safest course would be to relax, and tell Buffy first once she had relaxed as well.

Despite his inner turmoil, Xander reached Cornelius' home without incident. He saw a broken wreath hanging above the front door when he was still forty feet away. The house itself was made of wood, not stone, and contentedly untidy, as if it had stood in its place through many years of good and bad weather.

It was in the early morning when the house had finally come into sight. They had just rounded a large river that was so clean and clear that it could have been mistaken for solid ground in the dark.

"My friend Cornelius has done well with himself," Cato said quietly, looking at both Buffy and Xander.

"I see that." It was all Xander could say.

"Over there to the left," Cato remarked, "there's more mountains and rivers." He pointed to a place some miles along the grasslands where, behind a hill, there was a stream flowing downwards from a cliff. Mountains were barely visible in the background.

Xander was too occupied to think of the view too much. All the same, he had time to observe the oak woodlands surrounding Cornelius' home. The scenery was so marvelous that he could not prevent his rigid face from breaking into a smile.

"Are you anxious to see Brittany? She missed you very much you know," Willow acknowledged to Xander.

Xander turned pale. He glanced at Buffy's frowning face, then at Willow. "Yes," he replied hesitantly. "As much as a friend would miss another friend."

"A friend?" Cato shot a glance at Buffy then stared at Xander. "She does not think of you as a friend, Xander. I understand you might've changed, but she hasn't. Do you acknowledge this, my friend?"

There was an upsetting pause.

"I can," Xander said.

"As I thought. Then for the risk of saving me the restless nights hearing her cry, please be straightforward with her," Cato said.

Xander looked down at the ground for a moment. "I think," he replied softly, "such action is much more easily said than done."

Xander could see Buffy's stern look in her eyes as he looked up. He could not blame Buffy if she pitied his hopeless situation. However upset that Brittany had time traveled in Rome, he knew after all that she understood at one time he and Brittany had strong feelings for each other. But now he knew she was conflicted like he was and as hesitant like him about rekindling old relationships after all she and him had been through in Rome.

"Buffy, you anxious to see Dawn?" Willow asked curiously.

Buffy sighed. I hope Xander doesn't fall for Brittany again, she thought. How, she wondered sadly, did Brittany get here? "Huh?" Buffy said at last, remembering that her name had escaped Willow's lips. She shook her head in Willow's direction to clear the stray blonde hairs from her face. "Yes, Willow?"

"Dawn? Your sister?" Willow gave Buffy a strange look.

"Yes, yes, Dawnie. Of course I am- you know I would be, Willow," Buffy began, but Xander cut her short.

"Willow," Xander's face turned to Willow. "Um, just because we don't show that we're excited on the outside, doesn't mean we're not excited in the inside."

Willow nodded slowly. "I just wanted to brighten your moods. I'm sure the girls would be much happier to see that you guys were in a good mood when you see them."

"I understand, Will," he said miserably. "I…"

"Xander?" Buffy seemed to be searching his mind. "You okay?" Xander immediately nodded, as Buffy stared, apparently unconvinced.

Brittany is not going to agree with my relationship with Buffy, Xander thought to himself. I don't even want to hurt her. He hid a grimace.

Buffy continued to stare into Xander's eyes as Willow set her hand against the dull lavender paint on the front door. Before the door opened, Buffy slipped one of her hands into Xander's.

Brittany watched the group as she stared out of a stone window and wondered how all of them could look so calm. Especially considering the fact that they probably thought they would never see Dawn and her again.

She was certainly not calm. How amazing it was, that Xander was standing in his flesh, just a few yards away, as they stood in front of the entrance to the home. How her heart leaped as she heard the latch unlock and they headed in.

"Cornelius! Dawn! Come!" she cried.

When Cato, Willow, Buffy, and Xander emerged from the short doorway into the darkness of the home, she saw clearly the figures of her boyfriend and the slayer at his side. Her boyfriend was holding Buffy's hand, who showed no sign of disapproval. Willow and Cato stood beside them. As Xander and Buffy broke apart and glanced towards her, Brittany smiled with a mixture of happiness and hurt. But her boyfriend, in an uncharacteristic fashion of not acknowledging her presence, gave her a troubled look and walked determinedly into a different room.

At that moment, Brittany frantically wondered why he had shunned her and immediately thought of Buffy. What had the slut slayer done to my boyfriend? "If there's no Brittany, I will have him for myself," is probably what she felt, Brittany thought to herself. And now the slayer probably did have him for herself.

"Hey Brittany," Cato said cheerfully.

Brittany's eyes were fixated on Buffy. Nervously, Buffy finally spoke.

"Hello Brittany," the slayer said.

"Hi," was all Brittany could say. If her boyfriend chose to amuse himself with a slut, she thought with bitter contempt, it was a matter that needed to be addressed. Paying no more attention to Buffy or the others, she turned and walked towards another room, followed by Buffy who was trying to say something. She did not even listen.

The group fell silent. Buffy, having almost chased Brittany down the corridor, let out a deep sigh.

Willow, a little taken aback, gazed at Buffy curiously. "Do you think she knows?"

"Buffy!" a familiar voice shouted, almost immediately causing the group to momentarily forget what they were worrying about.

It took a second or two for Buffy to know where the voice had come from. "Dawn?"

Buffy's heart leaped. For an instant the world, even the incessant screaming from Brittany down the hall, seemed to have stopped. Then, wiping blonde hairs from her face, she walked back to the front of the home.

When Buffy reached the door of the home, she caught the eyes of her sister that made her stop dead in her tracks. Buffy couldn't help it. It was more than she could bear. She put one hand in front of her mouth and closed her eyes. This has to be a dream, she thought. A moment later, she opened her eyes, releasing a tide of tears, as though a flash of lightning surged through her. She was extremely happy. "Oh, Dawnie," she cried and opened up her arms, as her sister anxiously hurried to her.

Their bodies met in a tight embrace. Dawn looked away first, and color crept up her neck. "Buffy…" Dawn choked up..

Awkwardly embracing her sister, Buffy let her cry. She sniffed back her own tears and squeezed into the hug a little bit more. Dawn sobbed for only a few seconds, then sniffed and turned her back on her while she collected herself.

A pinched expression pulled Buffy's thin features together. "Why'd you do it, Dawnie? You had your whole life ahead of you."

At first Dawn blanked, then she tilted her head. "Just trying to be a good sister."

Buffy's face grew from modest to sad and miserable. Buffy could feel her own bleakness try to tear itself from the bottom of her stomach, as she thought of how much she had wanted her sister to have a peaceful, less worrisome life compared to her own. Buffy took a deep breath, forcing her own emotions to a controllable level, before replying, "I'm so happy you're here, Dawn. I'm so thankful…" Though Buffy was upset that her sister had risked throwing away her life in Sunnydale, her happiness and delight at seeing her younger sister again outweighed any gloomy thoughts. Their mother would not have had put up a disagreement towards any of her daughters for making such a courageous choice, Buffy knew.

"Why did Xander run off?" Dawn asked, noticeably distressed as she paced around the room.

Buffy could only shake her head, as regrettable tears streaked down her cheeks. "I don't know," Buffy whispered untruthfully, before choking off into a sob.

"What? What is it Buffy?" Dawn's face changed once again, this time into surprise.

"I've…" Buffy almost broke down, barely managing to keep herself speaking. "Xander and I…" Buffy lowered her head, while in the process, trying to keep her body from shaking.

Dawn noticed her sister mutely crying, having trouble trying to conceal it, and she started to cry again, herself, "Brittany loves him, Buffy."

Buffy allowed her tearful eyes to look up at Dawn. "So do I."

Willow shook her head with a cynical frown, her redish hair flowing around her shoulders. "You know we better not take sides with Brittany or Buffy on this, right?" Willow asked softly to Cato only to get an innocent look in return. "We're doomed," she sighed.

Cato had to smile slightly at the suggestion Willow had made. "At least everyone's together," he mused, feeling calm warmth inside him.

Dawn forced a weak smile. "I'm glad you're here Buffy… So glad, believe me… but this ruins things… A lot of things!" She exclaimed lightly, her multiplicity of emotions stirring up even more. "She risked her life to come here out of her love for Xander. She's already shattered. I could try to calm her down, but…"

"We'll talk. All of us," Buffy vowed softly.

Dawn sighed. "I remember when you told me about your pleasure in seeing Xander happy with Brittany," she said. "you said you loved Xander as a brother, me as a sister. Your brother, Buffy…"

"My white knight," Buffy took Dawn's arm, leaning her head against her shoulder. "You look beautiful," she exhaled happily.

They all heard Brittany's scream off in the distance. Buffy lowered her voice and said, "We need to talk as a group… soon."

Willow and Cato stood patiently and waited in the doorway for Dawn to look up and acknowledge their presence. When Dawn finally raised her head and glanced contentedly at them, they nodded in unison. Willow took a step forward and extended her arms for a hug.

Approaching her without hesitation, Dawn eyed Cato's expression, noting his genuine smile. As her arms enclosed lovingly around Willow, she whispered to her, "I can't tell you how much this means to me, Willow. Thank you so much. You're the best…." Her voice cracked as her throat tightened. It was then that Dawn realized how warm she felt in Willow's arms. "Mmm. I like this hug…"

Willow smiled and whispered softly. "So do I." Grinning widely, she wrapped her arms tightly around Dawn while placing a soft kiss on the cheek. "Thank you so much for coming along with me." She squeezed her once tightly before releasing her from the hug.

"This is the best feeling I've ever had," Dawn said, glancing at Willow, then at Buffy.

Buffy managed to keep the tears from her eyes as Dawn embraced Cato with a friendly hug.

"Hello, my girl," he said, with a bright smile. "It has only been a day and I have missed you already!"

"I missed you too, Cato," Dawn said.

"It seems like everyone is happy to see me," Dawn said bitterly, her eyes narrowing at Cato's face. "Except Xander."

"I'm sure he is… He's just a little preoccupied at the moment," Cato muttered.

Brittany coughed lightly. "Buffy," she said, and paused, her voice squashy. "You're in love with her, aren't you?" She finally pointed out the subject after minutes of frantic, nervous screaming. She took a glance behind herself, as if to see Buffy standing there, but saw nothing.

"Brittany," Xander frowned, a shade of red filling his usually pale complexion. "I thought you'd be happy to see me. It's been at least two weeks." He wrapped his arms around the back of his neck, his own brown eyes watching her, intently. "We've went over this before. Not to pass judgment on one of us if someone feels something has happened…"

Her eyes lowered down to the wooden floor, feeling Xander's intense glare on her. She took a glance up at him. "I know that, Xander. You haven't answered my question, by the way. Every time I've asked you, you've answered the question without hesitation. This is the first time you've paused." She sighed, and moved a bit to a chair, trying to get herself at ease. Xander opened his mouth to respond, but quickly shut it and took a glance out a window at the pitch-black sky. He began to think of what exactly to tell her.

"Yes, I do love her."

Brittany nodded, repetitively, as if already knowing the answer and took a glance to the side of her as she watched the rest of the group come into the room, find a chair, and sit. Buffy in particular caught her gaze. The slayer sighed lightly, and looked back at her. "Now that wasn't so bad, wasn't it?" Brittany said to Xander, her voice cracking.

"Actually," Xander began. "It was." He placed his gaze on Buffy that Brittany had glanced at seconds earlier, and sighed, lightly. A lonely teenager with long brown hair followed her and took a seat beside Buffy. She was staring at him with a cold look in her eyes.

"You had it tough, huh?" Brittany tried not to act surprised by his response. She knew it would be hard for him to tell her that he loved someone else other than herself. Besides, what else should she have expected? This was the same person who had told her he loved her and that nothing would come between them, not even Buffy. Well, now he apparently loved Buffy and his love for her was not evident. "Tougher than I?"

"Please," Xander whispered, smirking at his girlfriend. "Brittany, don't torment me when you already know the answer to your own question. If you were transported to a different time period alone with someone you know, having to survive in a place where death occurs at every corner… Who would have it tougher?"

"I'd like to hear it from your mouth." Brittany said, finally, after a lengthy moment of silence. She looked at him, but saw that he was watching Buffy, sitting next to Dawn, Willow, and Cato. Xander looked back at her a moment later and nodded, as if understanding what Buffy wanted him to say.

"Well," he paused, and walked over to an empty chair. Quietly, he sat on the chair and drooped slightly in his seat. He sighed, still wondering how to have the kind of reasoning that would make sense to Brittany. "I would say this separation made it tough for both of us."

There was another moment of silence as Brittany tried to come up with more ways to prolong her anger with Xander. A few minutes passed before she sighed, frustrated, and then took a seat in a different chair.

Xander took a deep breath. "Buffy and I thought we would be alone for eternity. If I had known all of you had come back here… to Rome… who knows?"

"Oh." Brittany said, a bit unsatisfied with giving him the leverage in their conversation.

"Why don't you tell Xander about Giles, Brittany?" Willow asked her calmly, frustration evident in her voice.

Xander cringed at the mentioning of Giles' name. "Giles? What about Giles?" He recalled what Willow had told him earlier that night that Giles was the reason he and Buffy had been sent to Rome.

Brittany could have shot herself at that point. She watched the group peering into her eyes. She ran a hand through her black hair and glanced over to Xander, seeing a smirk on his face.

Buffy's eyes lit up with impatience and spoke up. "What about Giles, Brittany?"

Brittany looked down and cursed under her breath. She wanted to leave the room, but knew she couldn't now after everyone was anxiously awaiting a response. She looked up at Willow with a sick look on her face. "You just had to bring it up, Willow, didn't you? Jealous bitch."

A hushed tone spread across the room. Cato raised an eyebrow. "What? What is the problem?"

"Um…" Dawn started, biting her lip in nervousness. She knew exactly where Brittany's frustration had come from and hoped to stop the heated argument that was likely to occur. "Girls. Can you do this somewhere else?"

"Jealous bitch?" Willow responded meekly. "Speak for yourself."

"Yeah… I'm jealous. Sorry about that. I just found out the boyfriend that I loved and threw my life away for is with the girl I hate…" Brittany shook her head. "Anyone can understand my jealously but you…"

Willow spoke up in agitation when Brittany trailed off. "You didn't tell me!"

Cato, Xander, and Buffy gave Willow an incredulous look, but before they could say anything, Brittany continued, "Why should I tell you? It's not like I cheated on you or anything! Should I just give you a list of all the people I've slept with in the past to make you happy?!"

Dawn sighed helplessly. "Willow and Brittany please stop it!"

As Cato, Buffy, and Xander sat in stunned silence, blinking in confusion of what they were discussing, Willow replied, "Well, after we had found out ourselves that Giles was behind Buffy and Xander's disappearance, it would only have been right to tell me that you slept with him!"

Everyone's eyes widened. Buffy, Xander, and Cato all looked at each other in confusion. Dawn sat in silence, knowing all along what and why Brittany and Willow were arguing.

Brittany asked the inevitable question. "Why did you bring this up anyway, Willow? You still have feelings for me or something? How does this solve anything?"

"I wanted Xander to know how much of a hypocrite you are," Willow said, a touch of resentment in her voice. Everyone who heard the tone of her voice knew that wasn't the only reason why Willow had decided to bring the issue to the table.

Xander could feel his skin ready to jump out of his body and run away screaming. He opened his mouth to yell at Brittany, but Brittany piped up.

"Xander, if you understood what I was going through," she began, noticing the antagonism growing in the room. Buffy and Cato frowned and stared deep into Brittany's eyes. Brittany turned and looked at them, her emotions clearly visible on her face. "Look, what I did with Giles was a mistake. I acknowledge that. It's different from actually having an ongoing relationship," she said, turning to Xander after she had spoke.

"Was I a mistake?" Willow asked sulkily, recalling their night that they had slept together.

Brittany froze, not sure what to do. Her eyes screamed for someone to help her.

Frantically, Dawn searched for some way to end what was going to be a bitter onslaught on Brittany. "Guys," Dawn said cautiously. "Brittany was depressed. She thought Xander was gone forever. You shouldn't question her judgment."

Everyone turned and looked at her while in their seats and stared her down intently.

Dawn flinched at that, and almost did not say anything. She was happy to finally have grabbed their attention, but in doing so, she was becoming more and more nervous. There was nothing she could do at this juncture anyway, she thought, but continue on.

"She was wrong to yell at Xander for being with Buffy and yes, it is hypocritical," Dawn started, glancing at Willow as she finished speaking. "But let's not gang up on her for her choices. If I was in her position, I might have done the same thing-" Dawn caught herself in mid-sentence. "Er, maybe not sleep with Giles, but I would have tried to find some consolation in losing the man I loved."

No one said anything.

Xander bit his lower lip, trying to control himself from yelling at Brittany for her promiscuousness.

Brittany smiled at Dawn and hung her head. She thought about what Dawn had said and glanced over at Willow, her dark eyes wide and a little desperate. "You weren't a mistake, Willow."

Willow gave her a moment, then softly said, "And?"

Brittany let out a huge, heavy sigh. "I'm sorry," she said, referring to the derogative term she had called Willow.

Willow hung her head sympathetically at the apology, but Brittany didn't notice.

"You guys made up. How splendid!" Cato said, his voice loud with joy. But when he noticed no one else was in a joyful mood, he bit down on his lip and looked away before adding, "I guess no one's happy here, except me."

"You hate me, Brittany?" Buffy said rather caustically. "I understand you're hurting as much as I am and Xander, but why would you hate me? I was always Xander's friend. I always respected you and Xander's relationship." She raked Brittany with her eyes. "You don't even have a good excuse for hating me, do you?" she said softly. "Jealous?"

"Buffy, please," Dawn continued, her voice light. "I mean I'm so happy to see you. We are all are happy to see you. Even Brittany… but she's just not herself."

Buffy didn't answer.

Dawn then took a deep breath. "We should all be happy to see each other," she said, looking at Xander sullenly.

Cato's brows drew together in a happy smile. "I am! Come on, listen to Dawn here. She's right!" he said, as he smiled widely, hoping it was contagious enough for at least one person to brighten their mood. He glanced at the least satisfied and spoke, "Xander, you all right?"

"What?" Xander asked, wondering why the conversation had suddenly turned to him. "How I feel about this is none of your business."

"Okay," Cato said rather absently, watching Xander closely.

"Xander, you too," Dawn managed to say quickly. "We don't have time to waste with resentment."

Xander stared icily at Buffy's sister. "Dawn, I wish I could just smile and say, 'All is forgiven', as some of you feel accustomed to, and move on, but I can't." Xander momentarily looked at Brittany with hurt in his eyes.

Dawn closed her eyes, wondering why she had even tried. She stood up, but paused, looking down at Xander. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm here and I'm glad to see you," Dawn said softly, holding back tears. "I'm glad you feel the same."

Before Xander could reply, Dawn bolted out of the room. "Dawn-" Xander started. Once he realized she was not coming back, he shook his head. He immediately realized why she had departed and he was kicking himself for being so foolish for not greeting Dawn. He'd been consumed with thoughts and feelings over what had transpired over the last few hours. Still, he should have at least recognized the importance of greeting Dawn.

Buffy turned to him, her eyes glistening with tears. "Xander, it's okay. I understand why you forgot."

"Yeah," Xander said, his voice deliberately hard to cover up his pain.

"Xander, I'm sorry for whatever I did," Brittany said, her voice dropping to a hoarse whisper. "I couldn't handle you being gone."

Xander's eyes narrowed with suspicion, his back turned to Brittany. "You slept with Giles. Did you know at the time when you lay with him under the covers… that he was behind all of this?"

She looked at him with something akin of desperation in her eyes. "No. I did not. I love you Xander."

Xander's turned around in his seat and looked at Brittany miserably. "I loved you, Brittany."

Brittany felt as if someone had punched her in the gut, and her eyes flew towards Buffy. "You love her?" Brittany surmised.

Xander wondered why his heart was pounding so hard. "People change," Xander said, for lack of any better advice he could give, and feeling the need to fill the empty silence between them. His eyes slid to Cato. "Where's the owner of the household?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Asleep, I'm sure," Cato said, his voice tightening.

"Well, I'm hungry," Willow said calmly, refusing to let herself continue the bitter feud between her and Brittany affect her. "I'm going to get some ham and fresh grapes. Anyone want some?"

"Sure," Cato said with a smile. "Dip some honey on the ham why don't you?"

"Yeah, please," Buffy said.

Brittany and Xander looked at Willow and followed suit. They both nodded, almost in unison.

Willow stood up from her seat and walked to where the food was situated in the kitchen.

Brittany swallowed hard. She had always knew that Xander and Buffy would become an item due to the circumstance they were in, but to have it confirmed hurt.

Xander took a calming breath, steadied his racing heart, and leaned in closer to Buffy. "Should I go apologize to Dawn?"

"Not yet," Buffy said, her voice level. "Since all these new revelations have been exposed… It's time you tell me," she paused, noticing Cato's intense gaze on Xander. "Us," she corrected. "… What you did tonight… and why your sword was bloody."

"After we eat," Xander replied calmly, as his heart began to pound again.

Willow had listened to the exchange between the two with some intrigue. Now, she hurried to gather enough food for the group and headed to the table with four separate plates in her hands. "Okay, guys, I have some honey glazed ham and regular ham for everyone else. As well as some grapes. Eat up!"

"Buffy, I thought we'd do this in private," Xander said to Buffy in a low voice, so only she could hear.

Buffy reached her hand over to Xander's cheek and rubbed it gently. "They have a right to know, Xand," she said, her emerald eyes focusing on his lips. "Please tell me."

"Tell her what?" Brittany asked suspiciously, realizing that the two were getting too close for comfort.

Cato took a bite of the honey glazed ham Willow had brought with her to the table, and made a face.

"Cornelius needs to buy some more honey," he said. "Damn."

Xander glanced at Brittany. "Something I did."

"Oh, okay," Brittany commented, relieved it wasn't any professions of love from Xander.

Willow handed a plate to Xander and Buffy, making a point to look into Xander's eyes. "Hurry up and eat Xander."

Xander hung his head, apparently realizing that what he had done would soon become public knowledge.

Willow gave Brittany a plate of her own, holding onto the last plate in her other hand. As soon as Brittany received her plate of grapes and ham, she found a chair to sit in and immediately began eating what was on her plate.

"Damn," Cato repeated. He tried one more bite of the honey glazed ham and then shoved the plate away, giving it up as a lost cause. Only then did he turn to Xander. "Eat your ham and grapes, Xander."

Xander didn't answer Cato. All he could do was stare at the ham and grapes on his plate, hoping they would multiply into large numbers so he could spend more time eating. Ultimately, Xander knew he had to tell them the truth that night, and not even what he felt like it was to be his last supper would be fulfilling enough to slow down his growing nervousness about such an action.

Arpineius and Considius pulled their horses into the entrance to the Praetorian Guard Camp. Pausing at the opened gate, his booted feet balancing himself on the horse, Arpineius nodded in the direction of Pulcher's chamber, and in a raised voice asked, "Do you want me to tell him or you?"

Considius hopped off his horse, and Arpineius did likewise. Removing the praetorian helmets they were wearing, they both stared at each other.

Arpineius told him that everything was fine, that Pulcher would not do anything to them, but his heart was still racing as he waited for Considius to say something.

Finally, Considius glanced over at him, a mischievous smile on his lips. "You're worried about Pulcher hurting the messengers, aren't you? Well someone has to bring that bastard the bad news. And boy I am glad I am. Antistius had it coming."

"Considius," Arpineius said wearily. "I considered Antistius to be like a brother, as I did to Cimberius. Though I have had my differences with them… both are dead and both deserve to be respected."

"I understand your point of view. However, I do believe in karma and when Antistius sold his soul to Pulcher, I knew someday fate would intervene," Considius said.

"You do realize Agrippa was butchered to death too, right?" Arpineius asked.

"That whore? She had it coming too."

Arpineius grinned. "True," he said. "She was a former lover of mine, remember? Still… she should not have been killed in such a barbaric fashion. From what I heard from those at the scene of the crime… she was impaled by a sword while trying to protect Antistius."

"I guess you have a point," Considius agreed. "She should not have been killed."

"What's more is that the man who committed the murders interestingly is in one of Severus' legions. This has to have been some sort of revenge killing for Cimberius," Arpineius replied easily.

Considius nodded in agreement.

"Either way, with one of Severus' men killing a decorated Praetorian Guard member, this could only help to switch the political advantage back to our side over the Roman masses," Arpineius continued. "It looks like Severus' undermining of our authority was done in vain."

"Indeed," Considius agreed. "Unfortunately-" He held up a warning finger. "I know Pulcher has been constantly looking for dirt on Severus. This will only enhance his fantasy of becoming emperor."

"Emperor how?" Arpineius asked suspiciously.

"He already has the credentials. He served under Commodus for many years. All he needs is some military support," Considius explained. "There are many legions not affiliated with Septimius Severus."

The thought of Pulcher becoming emperor made Arpineius frown all over again.

Considius saw, and apparently knew what he was thinking. "So now you're not worried about us getting hurt but about him becoming Emperor? If he becomes Emperor, we will be living in paradise," he said as he started to mount his horse. Then more loudly, "You do realize that with Antistius dead, Pulcher will have to name a second-in-command."

"I know it's going to be me," Arpineius promised with a wink, as he too, mounted his horse and followed Considius towards Pulcher's chamber.

"You seem happy about the prospect of increasing your rank. Are you sure you don't want to be Emperor?" Considius asked.

Arpineius frowned. "Pulcher would make a cruel emperor, even crueler than Caligula and Commodus combined. If he makes me second-in-command, I will do everything in my power to make sure he remains in the Praetorian Guard."

Considius' eyebrows rose in surprise. "Crueler than Caligula and Commodus combined?"

"You don't know Pulcher like I do, Considius," Arpineius told him.

"I was thinking," Xander said as he shared his meal with Buffy, "that we should just get a good night's sleep tonight, and then just relax the rest of the day."

"I'm pretty sure that'd be okay with Cornelius," Cato said. He turned to Willow for agreement. "We all need some rest."

"Do you know if there are enough bedrooms for me and Xander to stay in?" Buffy asked, directing her gaze at Cato and Willow.

"I believe there is just one left," Cato playfully beamed at Buffy.

"There's plenty of room on the floor, Xander," Willow joked.

"Oh we'll be fine on the bed." Xander stuck his tongue out at Buffy, which she promptly tried to bite off.

"It all depends I suppose… on what you tell us what happened tonight." Cato pointed his finger at Xander.

"I will tell you," Xander swore to him. "All of you. But I want you to promise me that you will not hate me or see me as a monster after I do."

"I promise," Cato said, left hand in air, right hand on his heart, "You will not be seen as a monster or hated after you tell us."

Xander finished eating, and glanced at the three women whose eyes pierced through him as he pushed the plate he and Buffy shared across the table. "You ladies, promise?"

"It's that bad?" Brittany seemed genuinely puzzled.

"We will not hate you Xander, but we might hate what you did," Buffy said, glancing at Xander with grateful eyes, although she could tell from the way he looked that he felt otherwise.

"We're all be okay with it, Xander," Willow agreed wholeheartedly, knowing exactly where Xander was coming from. She knew he had been poisoned that very night, thanks much to her naivety, and she also knew that whatever he had done following that horrible event must have been done irrationally, his emotions considerably full of despair and doubts.

Xander nodded. "Okay," he said low under his breath.

Buffy watched Xander warily, waiting to listen to what he would say.

Xander felt like his heart would burst out of his chest because it was beating so hard. Here it goes, he thought to himself. "I killed a man and his lover," Xander murmured, his face grim. "I know this sounds horrible and appalling, but the man-" He trailed off the flow of upsetting words with a flush of humiliation.

There were looks of shock and alarm from the group and Xander heard a soft sigh from one of the girls. "…the man was a part of the Praetorian Guard. He was the man who raped and killed Illeana. He was the man who poisoned me… but the woman… she was just… she tried to kill me and I… killed her."

Buffy tore her gaze away from Xander and looked down at the ground, her eyes filling with tears.

Xander noticed her blank stare and pleaded, "Buffy, you wanted the truth, that's it. I'm sorry… but I had to kill the son of a bitch before he harmed anyone else."

There was a stunned silence for a few moments, before anyone began to speak against it, but Xander stood firm. "I don't regret killing Antistius. He was the man who poisoned me… the woman… she tried to stab me with a knife…"

Willow gave him a pointed look, noticing the tiny blood stains on his face. "Where's the man you left with?"

"He wanted to kill Antistius' lover from the beginning. I wouldn't have it," Xander breathed, grimacing.

"You kill him?" Cato asked, looking concerned.

Xander shook his head. "No."

Willow gulped.

Xander heard the perturbed gulp and frowned. "Don't worry about it. He's not going to put any blame on me. He and I are both a part of Severus' legions. Aside from him, no other Roman saw me enter or leave."

Buffy sighed, but nodded. "Why didn't you tell us before you left? We could have helped you…"

Everyone in front of Xander nodded except Brittany who remained dumbfounded. "Yeah, why didn't you tell us?" Willow asked.

"I didn't want to get you guys hurt. I've already done enough harm to the people I've been around," Xander said quietly. He could see Buffy cringe and turn to look at him. She was eyeing him with pinched lips. She's mad with me, Xander thought. He moved his gaze back to alternating between Cato and Willow and continued, "I was feeling emotionally beaten for weeks… I felt responsible for Illeana and Acacia's deaths, and I've been having nightmares, visions, you name it, because of my regret… I felt I had to do something… avenge them… not only for the sake of avenging them, but because I felt I had to do it for myself. So I could live with myself… Antistius was a cold-blooded man who has killed many other innocent lives. He had to be stopped."

That calmed everyone down. Everyone nodded glumly and didn't argue with him. "Good," Willow said, trying her best to smile. "I'm glad you told us that Xander."

Cato let out a deep, agonizing sigh. "I am grateful for your devotion to my family, Xander. Thank you," he said.

"Xander-" Buffy swallowed. "How could you do such a thing? Your not a murderer."

"The man I went with… he used me. He wanted me to avenge the beating of his friend's family by Antistius but said he didn't have the motivation. He took advantage of my emotions and convinced me to go kill Antistius…" Xander said despairingly, turning to face Buffy. "He told me Antistius would come back to kill me, and I believed him." He laughed madly. "Hell, I should have been dead after the poison Antistius gave to me. I just didn't want to worry anymore about our safety, and I wanted retaliation, so I went with him… Antyllus."

"You said you didn't kill me … he could tell someone that you were involved," Willow said, her voice wrought with nerves.

"He could name anyone as his accomplice. I know that he will be found as the only suspect and whatever he says will mean nothing." Xander said, now beginning to worry. He ran a hand through his tousled hair nervously.

"There was a group of men in which the man you speak of came with. You sure they won't come to his defense?" Cato prodded, remembering the men on horseback who had approached Xander.

"I don't know," Xander said tiredly. The room remained silent, and Xander suddenly felt an extreme nervous tension creep into his heart. "I don't know what will happen. Someone could come after me or someone could not, I don't know."

"We would have been just fine if you haven't gotten yourself into this mess, Xander!" Buffy yelled hotly. "You're just making more enemies and putting our lives in danger!"

"I know!" Xander said, his eyes darkening with his own frustration.

Buffy continued to just stare at Xander, for once at a loss of words.

"Xander," Cato said, taking hold of his lower arms in a tight grip to emphasize the urgency of what he was about to say. "You remember my wife and child. They were killed because you and Buffy were wanted by the Praetorian Guard and they were giving refuge to you. You will probably have to leave soon because we might meet the same fate. They will kill us like animals if they know we are harboring you, just like Acacia and Illeana!"

Xander stared at Cato with icy brown eyes. "It's not going to be like that again, Cato. The political climate has changed. There is division between the Praetorian Guard and the Emperor. The Praetorian Guard does not hold as much power as they used to."

"Still," Willow said. "You killed a member of the Praetorian Guard. Even if the man, Antyllus, is accused of the murder, he and you are both affiliated with Severus. Wouldn't this give them more power politically?"

"Yes, politically," Xander said grimly, immediately realizing the implications of his action. "But as for intruding into others homes, the Emperor only has that authority. If the Praetorian Guard were to do what they did before when they killed Acacia and Illeana, they would seal their fate."

"Who's Acacia and Illeana?" Brittany asked curiously.

Willow, her face pinched with worry, put her hand on Brittany's arm. "Cato's wife and daughter," she said in a low voice.

Brittany gasped. She turned and glanced sympathetically at Cato.

"Just wonderful," Cato said sarcastically. Then, to Xander, "Well, how do you know if the Emperor doesn't find out and send his men after you?"

Xander sighed. "If he does, he does. But I'm sure he'll be more reasonable than the Praetorian Guard would be. I killed a man that poisoned me after all… and-"

Buffy's mouth creased into a cruel line. "-the woman," she added.

Xander hung his head. Even though he knew he had killed the woman in self defense and realized it was the right thing to do to save his life, he felt ashamed.

Cato's eyes narrowed slightly with doubt, but then he nodded. "I believe you," he said. "You are one of Caesar's men after all. Whoever is coming for you, it will have to be his men and they will not be as barbaric as the Praetorian Guard."

"Maybe they won't come after me at all," Xander said, for the first time finding relief in his body. He glanced at Buffy, hoping for some support. She did not say anything. He then glimpsed at the rest of those in the room and found that they were not going to say anything either. They all were looking at him, he realized, like he was a different person. Like a criminal.

"I'm not who you think I am," Xander said in his own defense. "I'm not a cold blooded killer."

Buffy continued to look at Xander, judgingly.

Xander noticed her piercing gaze. "I'm not," he whispered, glancing at her.

"Just be quiet," Buffy finally said. "You disgust me."

Xander swallowed hard and felt a sick, empty feeling in his stomach. He gritted his teeth and felt a sharp sting of tears pricking his eyes.

Buffy turned to Cato, Willow, and Brittany, as if Xander weren't even present. "I'm going to bed," she said firmly. "He could sleep on the floor for all I care," she added, a clear reference to Xander.

Xander suppressed a shudder and only Brittany's presence beside him kept him from going after Buffy and doing something stupid.

Buffy stood up hastily from her seat, folded her arms to hide her rather badly shaking hands, and walked out of the room. Her heart thumped painfully against her ribs as she tried to keep her breathing in check.

When Buffy was gone, Brittany cleared her throat. "Xander, do you need someone to be with you?" she asked, feeling like this was an opportune time to capitalize on the situation.

"Nope," Xander said, standing to his feet and rubbing his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Willow asked, mildly alarmed.

"Going to sleep," he replied. "I'm done."

"No you're not," Willow said. "I don't want you arguing with Buffy."

"I'm not going to," Xander shot back. "I'm going to speak to Dawn first and then find a nice comfy spot on the floor somewhere."

Xander headed out of the room. "Good night, Xander," Cato called out.

"Same with you, Cato!" Xander responded. He gave one last lazy glance at everyone in the room. "Good night everyone."

"Good night," they replied in unison.

With a deep sigh, Cato sat back in his chair and gazed out a nearby window. "Wow."

Willow watched him shift nervously, her hands thrust deep onto the table. "That's not the Xander I knew from Sunnydale."

Brittany coughed nervously, scuffing one foot on the floor. "No, not at all."

A golden vase flew across the room and hit the wall with a metallic clunk, spilling its contents on the floor. One of a few marble sculptures had a face that looked disturbingly like Severus, which had a club that had been intricately carved into the sculpture's lifelike hands. Pulcher promptly smashed its head with his fists, and it splintered into a hundred fragments.

Pulcher was livid, and as his mood grew darker, so did the chamber. Arpineius and Considius watched solemnly as Pulcher continued his rampage. They had just informed him that Antistius had been killed and they had watched as he destroyed everything in his sight.

"Antistius is dead?!" Pulcher yelled, as he shattered another vase. He was sure he'd regret his actions later, but Pulcher didn't care. The consequences of his actions were not a concern of his at the moment. Right now, he just needed to vent.

His forearm connected with an elaborate bowl filled with, among other things, fruit. The bowl's clay structure and fruit flew everywhere, ripping into other smashed objects.

Another yell of rage echoed in the silence. One last chair flew across the room, bursting into pieces right in front of Arpineius and Considius. Shattered mirrors and vases, bowls and sculptures, lay over the floor, signifying a broken man.

"Who did this?!" Pulcher shouted, tears brimming in his eyes. More members of the Praetorian Guard stood outside his door. Pulcher glared at the men. "This is private business, leave! Leave you son of a bitches!" he screamed at the door, picking up the closest shattered object to him, throwing it at the door. A loud noise of the object shattering went off, the sound echoing throughout the room.

His blue eyes flashed angrily at the influx of even more members of the Praetorian Guard at his door. He picked up his sword on a nearby dresser, but before he could approach the men, Arpineius and Considius told the men at the door everything was fine.

Pulcher dropped to his knees and knelt on the floor, shaking his head in frustration as Antistius and Considius surrounded him. Pulcher handed Arpineius the silver blade in his hands, managing a weak smile. "It was his sword… You take it now and take over his position."

Arpineius held the sword, eyeing it as a father would to a lost child. "Thank you, Pulcher."

"It was a man named Antyllus Celsus Petronius," Considius lowered his head, showing his lack of reverence to the mentioning of the name.

"Who the hell is Antyllus?!" he shouted instantly, spit flying from his mouth.

Arpineius sheathed his new sword into his belt. "A member of Caesars' twelfth legion," he replied.

Pulcher eyed the heavens. "Was this Severus' bidding?"

A few seconds passed, and Arpineius murmured, "I do not believe it was, Pulcher. This appeared to be an isolated… more personal incident."

"Did Antistius have any enemies?" Pulcher asked in a weak, exhausted voice.

Arpineius nodded. "Oh I believe he did. Many enemies."

"Xander…" Pulcher breathed. "Did he kill him?"

Considius shook his head, his expression blank. "We would have heard about it if he did. Everyone in Rome seemed to be at Cimberius' funeral."

Pulcher gasped, incredulously. "So, what then? He was killed before trying to poison Xander or what?"

Arpineius sniffed. "He was apparently killed afterwards… while in bed with Antonia. I heard from those at the scene that before he came into her cottage, he was coming from the direction of Palatine Hill."

Pulcher frowned and stood to his feet. "Then he must have poisoned him."

Arpineius sighed. He had his fair share of doubts, and there wasn't a lot that he could say that would not get Pulcher on his nerves anyhow. He had to be truthful. "Pulcher, as I said…"

"Oh, shut up!" Pulcher snapped. "I know Antistius and as every member of this Praetorian Guard knows… he's a man of his word. He had to have poisoned him."

"If that were the case," Arpineius went on, trying to be as unbiased as much as he could to salvage whatever point he was trying to make. "He must have survived. I would have heard of a death at Palatine Hill…" He turned to Considius, seeking support. "Right, Considius?"

Considius nodded. "Yes."

Pulcher crossed his arms, in deep contemplation. "Perhaps I was wrong about Antistius. Maybe he was not ready for such a daunting task."

Arpineius found himself smiling.

There was a long silence that passed between them as the weight of his words sank in.

Pulcher bared his teeth. "Where is this Antyllus Celsus Petronius?"

Arpineius smirked. "Other members of the Praetorian Guard took him captive and are on their way. We wanted to inform you ahead of time."

Pulcher considered that for a moment. "Thank you. If you had told me of Antistius' death with that bastard in the room, he would have been dead within seconds."

"What are you planning on doing for punishment?" Considius asked dryly.

Pulcher glared at him, causing Considius to take a step backwards. "I want to talk to him first. Maybe he had a good reason to kill poor Antistius. Regardless though, I don't expect him to leave the camp alive."

Xander made his way up the stairs, breathing heavily as his sickened body made its way to the top. The chilled night air caught his breath as he stepped onto the second floor of the home.

As soon as he reached the second floor, he heard footsteps coming nearer; and then farther. And then, he heard a door slam, signifying that someone had known of his presence. The door slam caused Xander to sigh, realizing it must have been Dawn.

He wrapped his cloak, or what was left of it, around his body and slowly made his way towards the sound of the door slam, near a large window which overlooked the entire hillside and forest. The moonlight shined through the window across the trees, casting an irregular, peculiar glow through the darkness. The light helped Xander navigate his way through the darkened corridor to where he felt the door had slammed.

"Here goes nothing," Xander said to himself.

He reached an injured hand from under his cloak and grasped the door knob, carefully twisting the knob and pulling the door open.

Xander peeked in before stepping into the room. Carefully checking to see if Dawn was there, he made his way into the room and towards a large bed that was positioned in the corner. The cover of darkness hid most of the room well but did not cover a shadowy figure that was sitting on the bed.

"You were poisoned?" the shadowy figure asked as it watched Xander make his way closer to the bed. "You killed a woman?" The figure on the bed crawled forward across the bed, her face now illuminated from the moonlight. It was Dawn. "You have a lot to tell me, Xander," Dawn whispered. "Tell me the truth."

Xander nodded with understanding as he reached for the side of the bed. It took Xander moments before he could figure out what to tell Dawn. He knew he had a lot of stories to tell, but he also knew he shouldn't be too specific about the details. He was tired and needed sleep.

"Yes… there have been many things that have happened to me and many things that I've done while I have been in Rome that have not been pleasant," Xander explained, still trying to speak in such a way that would not displease Dawn. "…And if you want a chronology of everything that has happened with me or Buffy while in Rome, I would be telling you all night of all the adventures and misadventures we've had, but I'm just too tired to do that…"

"Whatever," was all Dawn said. She watched him as he looked away from her. She couldn't stop herself from lowering her eyes onto his bare, muscular chest that was exposed through his cloak.

"Well…" Xander began, turning his head to face her.

Dawn turned away, blushing furiously, wondering if he had caught her staring.

"I just wanted to say that Dawn… I'm very glad to see you here… Well, to make things short... I've been preoccupied with a lot of things… And… I'm sorry," Xander said, happy that he had finished what he wanted to say. He took a deep breath and slid across the bed closer to Dawn.

When he was right beside her, Dawn knelt and looked at him. She saw something in his eyes that had not been there before. It was like he was struggling from the inside. He looked away and shook his head. He put his hands over his eyes and sobbed.

Dawn was taken a back. "Xander, what's wrong?" she asked quickly.

"It's nothing… You know, my life is crazy." Tears steadily flowed down Xander's weathered cheeks as he looked around the small room that he was in, so upset that he was trembling from head to toe. "I'm still wondering how I am still alive after all this time," Xander said to himself, sobbing as he was saying each of the words, "I've lost many friends. People I love…"

Dawn didn't move, silently scanning her eyes all over Xander. "Um…" Dawn said and stopped for a second, trying to find the words she wanted to say, not really knowing how to comfort someone that had been through indescribable events while in Rome. She knew that he and Buffy had been imprisoned and had escaped execution because of the assassination of the Emperor, but new details had surfaced that she had overheard from downstairs that were startling, specifically the discovery of the prospect of her sister now in love with Xander.

After a long moment of silence, Xander shook his head and looked at Dawn again, almost as if nothing had happened. "So you have some questions for me?" he asked, sniffing. He didn't even sound one bit sad. It was like he had momentarily prolonged his anguish to show his happiness at the presence of what he had always considered to be his own younger sibling.

"I… I was just wondering… I want some things clarified here. You don't have to go into detail like you said… I am really sorry, Xander. Forgive me, please… But I have to know," she pleaded.

At first, Xander hesitated, but he leaned in closer to her. He put one of his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. Her body met his. She felt the warmth of his body mixing with her own. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on her cheek. He pulled away from her to look at her face. He smiled. Dawn smiled in return.

"Sure," he said softly.

"Okay…" Dawn began, taking a deep breath. She felt a little more at ease now but still felt nervous about beginning her questioning. "You and Buffy are in love… why? How did it start?" Dawn said hastily, in an almost disappointed voice.

"I saved her from being hanged," he said as easily as one, two, three. "I guess things just developed from there." He grinned from ear to ear and looked deep into her eyes.

Dawn watched his eyes intently, believing his sincerity in his eyes. "Why was she…?"

"The portal sent me and her to different locations in Rome and she told the Romans she met what really had happened. They freaked and wanted her to hang," he replied quickly. "Luckily, I didn't tell anyone what happened."

"What was the reasoning for you and Buffy being imprisoned in jail and sentenced to die?" Dawn asked Xander with a confused tone in her voice.

Xander suddenly became quiet and took a steadying breath, and Dawn could see that the question troubled him. It hurt her that Xander was upset, and it hurt her even more that he worked so hard not to show it. But her face did not give away her thoughts. His did not either, really.

"It was because a man named Pulcher saw me leave the scaffold with Buffy after I had saved her. He happened to be the commander of the Praetorian Guard," Xander confessed, fidgeting with his cloak. When he realized that Dawn was lost, he explained further. "The Praetorian Guard is the Emperor's bodyguard. He went with his men to find me and Buffy as fugitives, and he did."

Dawn averted her eyes. "I heard that you felt responsible for-"

"Let's not go there," he said coldly.

Her eyebrows jerked. Her eyes searched his and she nodded. "Okay. You're not angry are you-"

He started to speak and caught himself. "I know you want to know about Acacia and Illeana," he said. "But you have to understand who these people were… Acacia was a middle-aged woman… alone, very alone, before I came along. She was being physically abused by her husband, Cato… and her daughter Illeana…" he paused to smile. "She was such a sweet, innocent girl. I remember her last words…" His lower lip trembled as he dabbed at tears in his eyes and glanced at Dawn. "What else do you want to know?"

Dawn was touched by Xander's comments. "I thank you for being honest, Xander," she said sincerely. "I really do."

Xander nodded.

"I know that you and Buffy escaped execution because of the Emperor's assassination and the jail guards tried to kill you," Dawn continued. "But where did you go from there? It's like you disappeared…"

Xander glanced at her. "A member of the Praetorian Guard, Cimberius, tried to kill us, but we ended up holding him hostage and forcing him to give us shelter. He led us to his grandfather's home where Buffy stayed for the remainder of the time while Cimberius and I… well we… went to a town named Gerasa to train for military combat…"

Her eyebrows arched. "Why military combat?" she asked.

"Cimberius wanted to use my anger and desire for revenge over the murders of Acacia and Illeana to help him for his own gain… Actually… very similar to the way Antyllus, the man that convinced me to seek revenge after my poisoning had done, but the difference was that Cimberius was a loyal, courageous friend and someone you could trust," Xander explained. "He would have gladly tried to kill members of the Praetorian Guard responsible for Acacia and Illeana's deaths without me and unfortunately he did… and failed."

"How was the military training?" Dawn asked, quickly changing the subject out of respect for Xander's downward spiraling emotions.

"Rough." He took a slow breath. "As any army boot camp would be like, but with less order. It was like a war zone."

"How long did you spend training?" she asked suddenly, puzzled by a look on his face.

"How long? About a week or so," he said quietly, his voice sounding strained.

"And this was without Buffy?"

"Yes," he replied.

"So you returned after a few weeks to see Buffy and from there… you met Willow and Cato at a funeral?" Dawn asked wistfully. Xander nodded. "You then went with Antyllus and killed the man that had poisoned you and had raped the girl you loved… and you also murdered another woman…" Her eyes grew sad. She took a few seconds to gather her thoughts after what she had said. "How could you do such a thing?"

Xander shifted uneasily on the bed "It was self defense," he said stiffly. "She attacked me with a knife."

"Oh…" Dawn said, staring at him until his cheekbones flushed. "So it was self defense. Look… Xander, I believe you, but you can see why I worry that you could have killed her to make sure there were no witnesses," she said gently but with authority. She scratched her jaw, as she remembered what Xander had said about someone coming after him. Her eyes narrowed. "There's one last thing," she added. "You said that someone may come after you. It's because someone witnessed what you did or what?"

"The man I came with… I knocked him unconscious. He will probably find himself arrested when he awakes and I'm sure I'll be the first person to blame…" Xander said with a bland look on his face.

"So you're not putting our lives in danger?" she asked.

He was silent. "The Praetorian Guard is confined within their camp since Severus' legions took over the city. The only people that would come after me are Severus' army and as far as I am concerned, they are ethical and principled men. So the answer is no."

Dawn looked visibly relaxed after that.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "I'm going to make sure what happened to Acacia and Illeana will not happen to you or anyone else here."

Dawn laughed nervously, and his expression warmed.

He gave her a big grin. "What's the matter?"

"You've changed," she said.

Xander got the feeling she was fighting hard to keep from looking at his chest. He raised his voice confidently. "You mean physically?"

Her crystal blue eyes rolled. "Everything. You know you've changed, Xander, face the truth."

"I guess I have," he said, his voice intentionally hoarse to emphasize manliness.

Dawn laughed. "Well… not everything." She appreciated that even after all Xander had been through, he had still maintained a sense of humor.

"All right, I need to go to sleep. I'm guessing you're tired as well. You got anymore questions for me?"

Dawn shifted her feet on the bed. "Yeah. You want to sleep here?"

Xander was taken aback some, but didn't show it. A disturbing vision of him and Dawn sleeping together flashed in his mind. "Ah, as long as you have no problem with me sleeping on the floor," he said casually.

Dawn moved across from the bed and peeked over to see the stone floor. "I don't know, Xander. I'm sure their might be a better place to sleep…" she trailed off, her eyes turning to the direction of the bed, a clear indication that she was about to offer him the luxury.

A pair of alarmed eyes looked back at her. "No, no. It's fine," Xander said.

"You can sleep with me, Xander," a familiar voice murmured from behind him.

Xander turned and saw Buffy, standing in the shadows, slightly away from the door. The moonlight from the window in the corridor flashed along her, showing a sympathetic, lovable expression on her face.

Buffy had heard what he had said. All of it. The look on her face, he knew it for sure.

"Buffy," Xander began as he watched her look over the array that filled the room.

Buffy smiled. There was nothing she could say.

Dawn crossed her arms, staring at her sister. "I guess someone has been eavesdropping," she said.

Buffy drifted by the door. "I guess I was," she said with a sigh. She managed to hold her gaze on Xander for a few seconds and then looked away.

Exhausted, satisfied, and very pleased with the way the night had ended, right up to Buffy's interruption, Xander groggily dragged himself off of the bed. He turned to Buffy, meaning to say something but stopped when he met Dawn's eyes. "Good night," he mumbled abruptly. "It was nice chatting with you."

"Good night, Xander." Dawn pulled the bed covers up to her chin, letting her head sink back into her pillow. "Good night Buffy."

"Good night, Dawn." Buffy smiled fondly.

Xander turned away from the bed, and smiled at Buffy. "Thank you, Buffy," he said pleasantly.

Buffy smiled back, then proceeded to walk away from the door.

"Oh, Buffy," Dawn quickly called, lifting her head up from a pillow.

Buffy stopped and looked at her younger sister.

"Yes?" she asked shortly. Buffy lowered her voice, and gave her sister a sympathetic look.

"I love you," Dawn said. Buffy beamed.

"I love you too, Dawnie," Buffy said in a comforting tone.

Xander and Buffy exited the room and advanced down the long corridor. Xander was about to ask her if she was still upset, but Buffy spoke first.

"I'm sorry for the way I reacted downstairs, Xander," she told him and continued down the hallway. "But I was shocked and appalled at what you told me. I just couldn't believe it. You killed a woman…"

Xander sighed at her statement and entered an empty room swiftly without any problems. He led Buffy to a bed and sat down beside her. "She attacked me with a knife and I had to defend myself," he said after a minute.

She looked down. "I know. I'm sorry, it's just kinda hard for it to sink in…"

"I know." Xander ran his hand down the cool woolen sheets of her toga and felt the warm flesh beneath. "I know."

He lifted her in his arms and felt relief when she didn't fight him. "I'm tired, Buffy."

She dipped her head into his brawny shoulder. "Me too."

"Hopefully some sleep will ease my stomach."

"It still hurts?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah, but it's nothing," he whispered.

She put her hands on his shoulders and rubbed her thumbs against his neck. He swayed towards her, but his hands remained clasped at her waist.

"I want to make love to you," she said softly.

"Oh, so that's why you wanted me to sleep with you… Here I am, thinking it was done in good faith…" Xander said, smiling sheepishly.

"It was in good faith." She was speaking barely above a whisper.

He kissed the corner of her mouth. "Honestly… I want to also, but I'm just too weak."

She closed her eyes for a second, savoring the kiss. "Mmm.. You're certainly not helping your cause, Xander."  
He nuzzled the side of her neck. "How about this?"

"Come on, Xander!" she practically yelled in excitement. "Please…"

Xander dropped his hands and stared at her calmly.

"I don't want any foreplay without sex," she cried with more anguish and honesty than he could ever realize. "You know?"

Xander let out a long, slow breath. He was so close to making love to her that night that he could taste it, but he knew he was too tired for the task.

While keeping her eyes focused on Xander's, Buffy decided to test him in return. Removing her toga slowly, she let it fall on the bed and kicked off her sandals. Beneath the toga were black bikini panties and a thigh's length hose. All of the underwear that she was wearing came from what she wore the time they were transported to Rome through a portal. Xander recognized it very well.

With agonizing slowness, his gaze moved up her body to her eyes.

"You are beautiful," Xander said gently.

He let her go long enough to crawl across the bed, then flipped her backward onto the sheet. After a long, meticulous kiss, he backed off and undressed. She watched him in awe as he undressed, admiring the body he had grown to possess. From his light brown eyes to his adoring smile to his strong neck and shoulders, broadly muscled biceps, level abdomen, and thin hips, all down to his feet, he exemplified a perfect model for a Hanes underwear ad.

Once he had finished undressing, he cuddled next to her beneath the bedcovers. He felt her rest her hand against his chest, feeling his heartbeat.

"Don't worry, I'm still alive," he told her. He held his breath playfully and waited for a response.

"Oh, yeah," she said, realizing what he was doing. Once he started breathing again, she nuzzled his neck. "You're quite a man, Xander, and I want you to know that."

"Thanks," he said, smiling, "I think I am too."

Buffy rolled her eyes and snuggled closer to his hard chest, smashing her breasts against him.

Xander sighed and held her tighter.

They held each other, too nervous to give voice to their abrupt change in their relationship, as if to say anything would break the enchantment that they had been living throughout their time in Rome. For now, they did nothing, while they cuddled together, naked in each other's arms.

Two Praetorian Guard soldiers violently dragged Antyllus into Pulcher's chamber to the center of the room. Antyllus struggled against them, hoping to somehow get out of their grip. When the guards had him within a foot of Pulcher, one of the guards punched him in the stomach to take some of the wind out of him. Antyllus, his breath forced out of him by the guard, gave in as they dragged him even closer to Pulcher.

"You son of a bitch." The guard that struck Antyllus announced and proceeded to punch him again for good measure.

"This is nothing compared to what you did to Antistius and his poor lover." The other guard informed him.

Pulcher, who had a smirk on his face, turned around and saw Antyllus standing right in front of him with two guards at his side. The two guards took two extra steps then stopped and glared at the suspect.

"Aw, perfect," Pulcher said. "You arrived sooner than I expected."

"Of course… We would not be late to give you the man who killed Antistius," said one of the guards. "And to let you know, I am really looking forward to the punishment."

"So am I," said the other guard.

Pulcher, who now had a scowl on his face, took three steps forward toward Antyllus, and glared at him.

"You killed my best man," Pulcher said in a dark tone. "You have ruined whatever great plans I had for him and ruined whatever future glory would have come to this guard on behalf of Antistius."

Antyllus stared at Pulcher for a long time and then spit on him across his face.

Pulcher wiped the specks of spit from his face and groaned.

"I am Pulcher, and I am commander of the Praetorian Guard. You killed one of my men," he said, and then he slapped him. "You asshole!" Pulcher yelled as he kicked Antyllus between the legs.

"Bastard…" Antyllus winced, holding his crotch area. He struggled to maintain his balance but just as he was about to stay on his feet, Pulcher flung his arm at his face. Blood spurted out of his nose as his fist contacted him. He could see the two Praetorian Guard soldiers laughing in delight as his head turned from the blow, their hands still holding his arms tightly so he would not move. He winced as he felt Pulcher punch him across the face once more.

"You fucking coward," Pulcher whispered, snot and tears running down his face. He ached all over and couldn't seem to stop thinking about how Antistius and Antonia had been killed. He squeezed his fists as hard as he could, and watched as Antyllus continued to stare up at him through it all, his face turning a light shade of blue.

"I'll let you speak and tell your story, but know that you were found in their home with a sword, so you are already guilty in my eyes…" Pulcher watched Antyllus rise to his feet, wiping the blood off his nose. "Feel free to tell me the other conspirators because I can see a coward like yourself would not commit such a heinous act alone." Pulcher stared at him coldly. "Well, now tell me!"

Antyllus stood silently, staring at him. "I did not kill Antistius or his lover."

Everyone in the chamber laughed when he said this. The only one who did not laugh was Pulcher.

"A guilty man's favorite excuse," Pulcher said, addressing his guards. "You didn't do it, huh? Then… who did?"

Antyllus took a deep breath. "A man named Xander," he told him, eliciting a gasp that filled the room.

A cold look of rage filled Pulcher's eyes as he slowly teetered on his feet, turning to stare at some of the guards that knew his own shock at hearing Antyllus' words. "Xander…" he said. A low, throaty growl began to emanate from his throat as he clenched his fists and bent forward.

"How could he… how did he?" Arpineius said from the back of the room, the other guards agreeing with his sentiment.

"Now… you better tell me why you say that Xander did this and you better give me a good explanation… now," Pulcher said grimly, barely managing to maintain eye contact with Antyllus. Everyone turned to look at Antyllus as Pulcher's untamed growl grew louder. "Tell me!"

"He was poisoned by Antistius and survived… I went with him because he wanted company," Antyllus said quickly, hoping that the last sentence he said would not be viewed as a lie, which it was.

"Company?" Pulcher replied with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, no, Antyllus. If he wanted company he would bring his blonde whore with him. I don't see why he would bring scum like you along."

Antyllus didn't say a word. He just slowly looked down at the ground. Pulcher smirked as he walked right past Antyllus.

He then said from behind. "I do believe you that Xander was involved. Are you willing to sign him as an accomplice on scrolls?"

Antyllus grit his teeth then turned around and glared at Pulcher. "I want him to rot in hell. He left me alone… unconscious. He framed me!"

"That's a yes, I take it," Pulcher said.

"You have the wrong man," Antyllus continued, in a more normal voice, "You should be going after him right now instead of taking out all your anger on me." He added the last in a not so normal voice.

Pulcher merely glowered at Antyllus and moved to lean in the corner of the room, so as better to take in the whole situation, while being careful to avoid bumping into members of the Praetorian Guard. Pulcher wasn't sure if Antyllus was simply lying to save his own skin, but something seemed too true about his statements, and he didn't want to harm him until he could figure out what exactly happened.

Unaware that every pair of eyes were staring at him, and feeling slightly nervous at Antyllus' words, Pulcher slowly moved back into the room. His shoulders were hunched over as if to protect his neck, and his hands, which were closed fists, were kept at the side of his hips. All his body language was projecting a feeling that he was full of negative emotions.

As he came closer, Pulcher said, "We should, yes," Pulcher said. He caught Antyllus' glare and decided not to push it. He dropped into a softer voice, "But Xander is a messenger of Septimius Severus. Since Severus' legions took over the city, the Praetorian Guard has been on thin ice. There is no way we can seek justice ourselves without inflaming an already strong hatred towards us by Severus' legions and the Roman populace," and with that he pushed pass Antyllus and walked to where he was standing earlier.

Antyllus stood looking at where he had left for a moment, before turning around and whispering very quietly, so that Pulcher could only hear, "I am in Severus' legion. What makes you think punishing me will not cause any problems?"

Pulcher looked at Antyllus, a small grin coming to his lips, before he put a gentle hand on his shoulder and said, just as quietly, "Because you were caught."

A shocked and angered expression crossed Antyllus' face, before he frowned and spoke up, "What if I sign a scroll stating that Xander was involved? Would I be spared?"

Pulcher pulled away from Antyllus and spit on the ground. "Maybe," he said, glancing back at Antyllus, then at Arpineius. "What do you think, Arpineius? What should I do with this… Antyllus?"

"He should be punished," Arpineius stated bluntly. "Letting go a man who was responsible for killing a member of the Praetorian Guard sets a bad precedent."

Pulcher nodded his head in understanding.

When they stood there in silence a little longer, Antyllus asked Pulcher, "What about Xander? How can he be punished?"

Pulcher stood in silence for a few moments before speaking again. When he did, his voice was strained as though he was attempting not to yell. "I will send a letter to Septimius Severus, with a signature from Antyllus… That says that Xander was an accomplice to…" he trailed off, noticing the angered look on Antyllus' face. "… or carried out the murder of poor Antistius and Antonia. And that Severus should do what he feels is right and punish Xander for his involvement." Pulcher remained silent, waiting to see if anyone in the chamber agreed with him, and when he got no reaction, he asked with a tone of humor, "my plan leave you all speechless?"

"Your plan sounds good," most of the members of the Praetorian Guard hastily agreed.

After a minute, Pulcher spoke again. "If we cannot punish Xander, we'll let his own people do it for us."

"What about me?" Antyllus asked, not quite understanding Pulcher's intentions.

Pulcher looked at him and grinned wickedly. "Well, you'll be a part of the message."

Antyllus' expression grew concerned. "What? What do you mean?"

Pulcher looked around tentatively and narrowed his eyes at Arpineius. "Give me your sword."

Arpineius moved out of the shadows from the corner of the room and extracted his sword, formerly Antistius', from his belt, and walked over to Pulcher.

Quite suddenly, Antyllus became aware of what Pulcher was going to do. He felt his knees give out, and he struggled to break free of the guards' grasps on his arms. "Don't do this! Don't!"

Pulcher gave him a menacing look that promised him that a terrible thing was about to happen. "Don't worry. It'll be quick."

Antyllus gulped, trying to stifle a scream of terror. He wished anyone would tell him to stop, anyone at all. But there were no disagreements.

There were images of corpses everywhere that lay around Xander. His stomach was burning and was bringing a terrible pain on himself. A pair of sharp eyes was staring at him. A shadowy figure from the distance stood on his feet.

Xander stared in alarm as the figure came closer and closer to him. Flies fluttered around the figure in a frenzied circle. Xander studied the shadowy figure's face and could see that it was disfigured in the dark.

He turned in a different direction to avoid seeing the man's face but everywhere he turned he could see the same figure approaching him. He watched helplessly as the figure came into view, walking threateningly towards him.

Xander, seemingly frightened, tried to move but couldn't. It was like his body seemed to be rooted to the ground.

His eyes widened in terror as the figure stood before him.

"Pulcher… you must not kill him by yourself… you need men…" the figure said.

Xander looked at the figure's features, recognizing Cimberius' facial features, but other demonic features as well.

His senses feeling remorse for him, he shook his head. "I already killed one of his men…"

Cimberius grabbed his arm.

Xander looked up from the ground and saw him towering above him, glaring into his eyes. But his eyes were not the same light blue color as before, but blood red, demonic eyes.

"Pulcher… you must not kill him by yourself… you need men…" Cimberius repeated, his eyes penetrating through Xander's.

Xander was terrified. "How can I do that?" he asked. "How can you have me go through this entire military training, make sure I remember all those painful memories of Acacia and Illeana and then abandon me by going after Pulcher alone! It was supposed to be me and you against the Praetorian Guard! I can't do it alone!" He yelled, more scared than angry.

Cimberius looked so calm. "You must not kill him by yourself… you need men…"

Xander screamed. "I know I need men! But I need you!" His eyes became wet with angered and frustrated tears.

Cimberius' eyes widened, letting go of his arm. "You need men."

"What if I don't want to do it?! What if I just want to live in peace?!" Xander cried.

Cimberius bent over, then sank to the ground. Seconds passed, and Xander noticed that Cimberius had disappeared.

"What?" Xander asked after him, staring at the ground where Cimberius had disappeared.

Xander woke with a start and took a minute to gather his thoughts. Light broke around the edges of the wall of closed draperies, and details of his nightmare came back in a rush.

Cimberius. The name brought a sad frown to his lips.

He felt on the bed beside him, but Buffy wasn't there. He eased all the way over to the far edge of the bed. She was undoubtedly gone. But the sheets weren't entirely cold. She hadn't been gone long.

He searched a closet and the floor around the bed for signs she had been there. Except for a pile of underwear she wore the night before and the neat way she had folded her toga, he found nothing in the way of evidence of her whereabouts.

There was, of course, some stiffness and soreness in his body, proof that the events of the night before had taken its toll on him. He thought about his poisoning, the murder of Antistius and his lover, and his reconciliation with Buffy. The night he had slept was perfect because of Buffy's presence. She was so warm and kind. He was in love with her.

Sitting at the side of the bed, he rubbed at his head and sighed. It was less than a minute later when Xander heard someone at the front door. He leapt up from his position, made himself as presentable as he could and hurried downstairs. Xander could tell it was late in the afternoon. He never slept that late. But then he'd never had a night like last night.

He went downstairs groggily, because he was still trying to adjust to being awake. When Xander reached half way down the stairs, his eyes widened as he saw who was standing outside the front door. He quickly moved out of view and waited patiently, hoping that no one had seen him. The two men that he had seen were dressed in army uniforms similar to those worn by Septimius Severus' men.

Xander shifted a little as he tried to listen to what they were discussing. He could hear an unknown voice talking with the soldiers, which he presumed to be Cornelius', and he had a sinking feeling that everyone in the house was also listening to what the soldiers were saying.

Xander overheard a conversation referring to the whereabouts of someone. Straining his ears, he leaned closer around the corner of the stairs, and heard their voices clearly.

"I want you to inform us if you see or hear of an individual that is 5'11, light black hair, brown eyes, and goes by the name of Xander… Please come to Palatine Hill and divulge the information to us," one of the soldier's voices said huskily.

"Now are you sure you haven't heard or seen anything of this man?" the other soldier asked.

There was a short pause, some whispering, and then an alien voice from inside the household, Cornelius, responded, "Yes. We are sure."

Xander sat solemnly on the stairway and contemplated his thoughts. I'm sick of hiding, he thought to himself. They'll find me anyway and I'll be in more serious trouble, he knew. So will his friends.

He looked up and sighed. If he became a fugitive to Severus, whose army had consumed Rome, he would be a dead man. If he turned himself in, Severus may go easy on him. He could convince Severus about the circumstances that led him to commit such a horrible crime. Additionally, he could give Severus a piece of his mind about politics and confront him about his reckless use of Cimberius' death as political ammunition against the Praetorian Guard.

His thoughts were soon disturbed by distinctive crying. He knew it was Buffy. Xander took a deep breath. "Damn," he cursed himself. He wanted to end all of the suffering he had caused that moment. Gathering his courage, he took a few steps down the stairs and brought himself into plain view of the soldiers at the door.

"Men! I'm here!" shouted Xander from the middle of the stairs.

Everyone turned their heads and gasped in shock, even the soldiers.

"Xander, what are you doing?!" Buffy cried, instinctively pounding her fist into one of the walls.

"Xander! Why?!" Cato shouted in shock. "Why did you do that?!"  
The whole household turned silent, with every one of Xander's friends thinking about what would happen to him, with Xander remaining stoic and the soldiers glaring daggers at him.

It was Xander who broke the silence. "The Emperor wants to see me. Am I right?"

Both soldiers looked at each other before answering Xander. "Yes…"

Xander made his way downstairs bit by bit, looking at Buffy as she eyed him back warily.

As he descended downstairs, he stole a glance at Dawn and Brittany next to the door. Both had tears forming in their eyes.

Sighing, Brittany gingerly fixed her hair and rubbed her eyes, unsuccessfully trying to hide the evidence that she cared enormously for him.

Finally, he made his way to the foyer on the first floor, where he was greeted with a smack across his face by Buffy. Xander flinched, but he didn't speak.

"How can you do this?" Buffy screamed, getting louder. She slapped him even harder in the face, but still he remained silent. Her face took on an ugly cast, her lips curling into a snarl, and her brow furrowing.

She watched the soldiers tie his arms up with rope, with his hands bound behind his back. Everyone stood silently until the soldiers dragged Xander out of the home.

Xander could feel everyone was staring helplessly at him when he walked out of the front door with the soldiers. He turned and glanced at his friends. "I'm not hiding anymore," he said sadly.

Buffy watched as he walked outside and felt sobs forming in her throat. She looked at him with tears in her eyes and he looked back at her. For an instant, they stared at each other, seeing each other through mists of tears, until Buffy finally made a move.

She ran to him without even thinking. Her feet just moved and she was unable to stop them. She opened up her arms to him and embraced him tightly, as if it were the most natural thing to do. She covered his face with gentle kisses, the whole time murmuring through her tears.

"I love you…" She said to him over and over, and she cried harder. Her tears were now flowing along with his. As she kissed his face, the taste of his tears washed over her lips.

Once the soldiers knew what was going on, they immediately broke up their embrace, and one of the soldiers hurriedly wrapped a tight piece of rope around Buffy's arms.

"You didn't have to do this, Buffy," Xander told her through his own tears of sadness as the soldiers pushed them along the grass.

"I wanted to," Buffy told him. "I want to make sure you're safe."

A large roar of protest came from the house. "No! No! No!" Cato yelled up, his voice drowned out by the others beside him screaming.

"Thank you," Xander told her, leaning his head against hers, "don't worry. They won't harm you."

She slowed down for a moment, judging on how strong the soldiers were. Their strength told her that at she or Xander could overpower any of them. "Xander… you know both of us can break free," she whispered to him.

"Yeah, but we're not going to be taken prisoners," Xander commented, staring at both of the soldiers as they walked. "I'm just being brought to the Emperor."

"Isn't that lovely?" one of the soldiers asked Xander, looking quite pleased at what he had heard. "You get to have some face time with the Emperor," he said sarcastically.

Septimius Severus sat on his thick throne, looking down at the red splotches in the center of a brown bag. He shook his head slightly. It looked like a decapitated head. Licinius was talking, giving his usual briefing. His eyes sought Xander's across the narrow room. He knew Xander would come, could anticipate the deep, inner concentration of the man he told once to go after those responsible for Pertinax's murder. Severus did not realize the man would be so successful in killing a member of the Praetorian Guard and if he had known earlier that he was legitimately skilled in achieving his goals, he would not have told him in jest to kill those who assassinated Pertinax. He could hear a conglomeration of footsteps approaching from the west end of the palace. The sound of footsteps connecting with the marble started to come closer and closer to the room.

Severus kept his eyes focused on the entrance to the room. Before he could prepare himself for an entrance, Xander stuck his head into the room, looking at Septimius Severus, obviously thinking about what awaited him there. When he finally came into the room and approached him, with a rope tied over his arms, Severus bit his lip, moved by the sight. There were several things Severus liked about Xander. That is why he had not even considered a punishment for his soldier.

Xander walked a bit to his left, paused, looked at Licinius, who moved one finger slightly in one direction. In one smooth motion, then, Xander walked to the center of the room, only to within about twenty feet from the Emperor.

He knelt to the ground on both knees. "Caesar," Xander said, "you asked for me."

Xander remained kneeling, the bright light of the candles situated all around the room beating on his face, sweat trickling down his cheeks, the back of his neck. His fingers, wrapped tightly around a rope, were tense and he flexed them as, grimly, he listened to Licinius talking to the Emperor. His eyes locked on Severus.

"Caesar…" Xander repeated soundlessly.

Xander was becoming nervous. He was thankful that Buffy was not going to get involved in such political complexities, since she was told by the soldiers to wait outside the room. But if he could, he would have made sure she was with him, so, in this particular case, if he was to meet his fate, he would not be alone.

"Xander," Severus replied, applying a bit of a throaty tone to his voice. "I am… most… surprised to see you here," he paused, raising his hand delicately in his direction, then added, "I got this package and letter in the early morning. I'd like you to tell me if you recognize this person."

Xander looked at him levelly. What was he talking about? Xander was confused but still forced a smile at Severus, "Most certainly, Caesar. I will do that," he turned to Licinius, who was bringing a brown bag towards Xander. "I will most certainly… do that…" he trailed off.

He looked back and forth between Severus and the bag, thinking something that only weeks of training in Gerasa would cause him to ponder. It was a severed head, Xander thought to himself.

When Licinius was at his side, he opened the bag wide so Xander could see its contents. Xander took one quick look inside and felt his skin crawl. He began to feel sick, like he was going to vomit. It was Antyllus' head. "Who, who did this?"

"Do you recognize the person?" Severus croaked. "Do you?"

"Yes… yes," he stammered. "Antyllus."

"Yes, it is Antyllus. He was a member of my twelfth legion," Severus said, staring at Licinius, then Xander. "You know what's worse than being woke in the morning to see a decapitated head of one of your soldiers sent to you?"

Xander leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, and buried his face in his hands. "No."

"To discover that one of your soldiers was disloyal and was willing to give up a name of his fellow soldier," the Emperor said. "He signed your name in this letter from Pulcher as an accomplice in the murder of Antistius and a woman."

Xander removed his hands from his face and looked up. He was agitated, worried. "What else did the letter say?"

The Emperor frowned. "It also referred to you as a messenger of mine. As far as I am concerned, the only messenger I have is Licinius."

"I can explain…" Xander said, unconsciously rubbing his stomach. "When you told me to get rid of those responsible for Pertinax's murder and offered me five men-"

"I wasn't being serious at the time," Severus interrupted. "At the time, I knew you as someone who is a laggard and a liar. When you were late to camp, you told me about an injured man on the road… remember?"

Xander felt like he was caught between the hammer and the anvil now. "I'm sorry about that incident, Caesar…" was all he could think to say.

"Continue your excuse, Xander, and this one better be good…" the Emperor breathed.

"I wanted to find out who my enemy was before I went after them… to see if it was worth it," Xander stammered, and bit his lower lip because his stomach was threatening to come up through his mouth. "…So I disguised myself as a messenger of yours to secure my protection when I went inside the Praetorian Guard camp and I met with Pulcher, the Praetorian Guard leader. What I found out was that he was a bloodthirsty, remorseless killer. After I had met with him, I was then more willing to go forward and complete the task you assigned me."

Licinius turned his head towards the Emperor, the corners of his lips twitching slightly. "He's lying like he did before. You don't honestly believe this."  
Xander's lips parted in sudden alarm. "What? No."

The Emperor paused for a moment, his encompassing thoughts changing his expression, his next words spilling from him as though he was not his usual self. He glanced at Licinius. "I believe him. I reviewed the letter. Pulcher wrote as if he had talked with Xander before… calling him a 'dim-witted messenger.' To me, he is telling the truth." Severus turned away from Licinius and faced Xander. "Now tell me, Xander, why was your name signed on this letter? Did you help to commit the murder of Antistius and Antonia?"

Xander closed his eyes, overcome momentarily by the tension of pressure breaking loose throughout his body. The pressure emanating from him was intense. Then, he found himself staring back, determined to answer the question truthfully.

"Yes I did," Xander replied simply, leaving room for a follow-up response.

"So you did," Severus said, shaking his head. "Tell me… why the woman?"

"She tried to kill me," Xander muttered in despair. "I defended myself. As for Antistius, it had nothing to do with what you had told me to do. He poisoned me earlier that night and I was worried for my safety. I didn't know if he'd try to kill me again."

The Emperor pulled back a little, looking at Licinius. He was surprised and briefly shaken by what Xander had told him. But he was struck by how truthful Xander's words were and how it came from the heart. He knew how to detect a lie and after listening intently of what Xander had said, there were no hints of lying taking place.

The Emperor took a deep breath. "Why go with Antyllus? What was his reasoning for killing Antistius?"

"He wanted to do it out of respect for his friend, Fulgentius, who was angered that Antistius had broken into his home and beat his family," Xander answered, hating the fact that he felt required to tell the Emperor the whole truth. "He played on my anger and used me as an accomplice to kill Antistius."

"You believe this bullshit, Caesar?" Licinius snapped as he glared angrily at Xander. "His stories are so obviously fabricated that it is a disgrace that he shares them with you."

They all spoke in unison, no one listening to anyone else.

"No." The word practically came out as a shout and got everyone's attention. "No," the Emperor said, softer, "He's genuine. I know this man and it's easy to know when he's lying. I haven't sensed anything false about him."

For a moment, no one spoke, as if they were considering the meaning of his remark. With a nod toward the Emperor, Licinius glanced at Xander and frowned.

Xander tried to look regretful, as if he had done something wrong in telling the truth.

Sensing that no one else was going to speak, Severus sifted his fingers through his hair at his nape and smiled encouragingly at Xander. "As I told you before, I don't know where your bravery has come from. But you seem like a very courageous man. You're not like the rest of my soldiers, Xander. They don't take the initiative like you do… They just want to follow orders. What I told you… I told you in jest but the fact that you strived to do the best you could upon what little I had told you to do is honorable in itself."

Xander fought a swell of emotion. "Thank you, Caesar." A smile chased away the gloom in his eyes.

The Emperor's hands flexed at his side. "Me and my men cannot dissolve the Praetorian Guard due to the Praetorian Guards' political stranglehold over this city. They have many ties to factions in this city and abroad and their influence cannot be underestimated. But we can kill those who were responsible for Pertinax's death."

"What are…" Xander's voice wavered and his throat bobbed. "What are you suggesting, Caesar?"

"I am suggesting that you continue your hunt and find the necessary information you need to eliminate those responsible for Pertinax's death," Septimius Severus explained. "Do you still have the list Cimberius drafted?"

The smile that had been plastered on Xander's face was gradually replaced by a more serious one. "Yes, I do."

"I am going to appoint you minister of military affairs," the Emperor stated. "You will help me deal with all matters of military correspondence."

"But, Caesar-" Licinius started to protest but was cut off by Xander.

"I am honored, Caesar, but am I still in charge of leading men to seek revenge for Pertinax's death?" Xander pointed out gently.

"Yes. I want you enlist at the most five to six of my men to go with you to eradicate Pertinax's murderers," the Emperor explained.

An awkward silence descended upon the room as all three of them looked off in different directions.

"Caesar?" Xander called out after a long moment of silence. "Would it be all right if I enlisted a woman for the mission?"

"That's a nice gesture of you, Xander. But we all know a woman's place in this world," the Emperor replied.

"I insist, Caesar. She is a great fighter," Xander spoke softly.

After pausing a moment to think, Severus replied, "Because you are someone who takes the initiative and makes his own decisions… as well a person who exceeds my expectations while my own men continue to disappoint me… I guess I could allow a woman to be alongside you. Who is this woman's name? I want to make sure she is not a whore I've heard of."

"Buffy Summers," Xander replied. He looked long and hard at the Emperor. "Would you allow it?"

"Well, if you need a woman every once and a while to fuck while you go after the murderers, I guess I can allow it." He looked at Licinius. Both of them looked skeptical. "I haven't heard of a Buffy Summers before."

"Sounds more like a man's name," Licinius said. "Are you sure he's speaking of a woman?"

Xander lowered his voice, trying to regulate his growing temper. "She is a woman. A very beautiful woman. She can handle her own."

The Emperor crossed his arms. He let out a disgusted sigh. "Okay… but remember you are putting her life in danger. Make sure she knows that and agrees to it."

Xander drew himself up to his feet proudly. "I will."

Severus shifted his gaze. "Do you have any more…" he paused, trying to come up with the right word.

"Requests?" Xander offered.

Severus looked at Xander. "Yes."

Xander hunched over for a long moment before straightening up, gathering up his willpower, and saying, "Can you offer my friends protection in the Imperial Palace? They are likely to be targeted since Pulcher knows who I am."

Severus paused for a moment, then looked up at him considerately. "I will help you, yes. How many of your friends need protection?"

Xander couldn't quite keep the relief from reaching his face. "Four," he added quickly, referring to Dawn, Brittany, Cato, and Willow. "Is that too much?"

The Emperor hesitated. Then he said, "No, not at all."

Licinius turned toward the Emperor, his face an expressionless mask. "Are you sure you know what you are doing, Caesar?"

Xander remained kneeled on the floor, looking worried and confused at what the Emperor had just agreed to do.

"Don't question my judgment again, Licinius." The Emperor glanced back at him with a little annoyance in his voice.

Severus narrowed his eyes as he turned to face Xander with a couple of fingers right below his lips. "So Minister of Military Affairs, anything you want to say before I ask for you to retire?"

Xander seemed to grow more cautious as he stood silently. He wasn't sure if he should go ahead and ask the Emperor about something that had been bugging him for a long time. He wasn't sure if it would be right, considering its likelihood of ruining the good will the Emperor and him had just shared.

"As a good friend of Cimberius, I was just wondering why you used his death to stir up support against the Praetorian Guard?" He asked nervously. Licinius and Severus' eyes quickly turned to him. "He deserved to be remembered for more than merely a political catalyst for your cause."

After a quick glance at his messenger, Severus started talking. "Well… I was going to tell you, and I wasn't sure how you were going to take it. I understand your loss but from my standpoint, I needed any kind of political leverage against the Praetorian Guard I could get. They were growing too powerful. They've killed the last two Emperors. You have to see it from my perspective, Xander."

Xander's eyes narrowed. "I do, but it just hurt me that's all."

Severus sighed. "Well, I made a decision and if I had to make such a decision again, I would. But you have my sympathies…"

"Thank you…" Xander started, looking over at Licinius. The Emperor's messenger glanced at him, telling him that he was listening. "When should I start recruitment?"

Severus chewed on his bottom lip. "As soon as you can." He looked at Xander's optimistic eyes and nodded. "Thank you for your candor, Xander. It is much appreciated. You may go now."

Xander was so excited about what had occurred that he almost forgot to ask for the rope to be removed from his arms.

"Oh… can I get?" Xander asked, motioning his head in the direction of the tied rope.

Licinius quickly went over to Xander and untied the rope from his arms.

The doors swung open on cue and a group of soldiers walked in, most of them looked nervous. A blonde woman, her hands tied behind her back, walked in behind them.

"What is your business here?" Severus asked the men.

One soldier looked up at the Emperor and spoke up, "What should we do with the man and woman?"

"Let the man go. He's minister of military affairs now. As for the woman…" he trailed off, his eyes settled on the beautiful woman that was with Xander.

"That's Buffy," Xander began quickly. "The one I spoke of."

A hand suddenly covered Licinius' mouth. He was in shock.

Xander noticed Licinius' expression from the corner of his eye. He raised his voice. "Some man, huh?"

All eyes were on the Emperor, waiting for his response. He blushed, turning a very deep shade of red before mumbling his answer.

"Sure, let her go," Severus said.

"Xander… we are sorry for the way we treated you…" one soldier whispered out pathetically. "We will be willing to serve under you with the best of competence."

Xander made a small noise in the back of his throat. He was obviously not pleased with how the two soldiers had tied him and Buffy up and carted them into the city. He refused to respond to his statement.

The soldier realized this. "Right… forget it," the soldier murmured out.

"Xander, are you okay? Minister of Military Affairs?" Buffy asked, alarming Xander out of his thoughts. She looked at him with her deep green gaze.

Xander smiled faintly. "Yes. Everything's fine," he reassured her, the woman he'd come to love. His lips pursed before he frowned. "Although I've been ordered to kill those responsible for Pertinax's assassination."

She looked at him seriously. "Xander…"

Xander nodded. "Yeah I know. But it's either getting killed or follow an order. I chose the latter."

Buffy smiled. "You have really impressed me, Xander."

Xander shook his head, blushing, and gave her a gentle, loving smile. "Buffy, I…"

They looked at each other for a long moment before Severus interrupted.

"You two may retire, please," Septimius Severus insisted. He glanced at Licinius, who subsequently glanced back at him and rolled his eyes.

Xander nodded his head in compliance to the Emperor's wish and wrapped his arms around Buffy, his powerful arms shielding her from the world for that brief moment. Xander was the first to pull away once they had left the room, the warmth surrounding the slayer leaving her just as quickly as it had been there.

Once apart, Xander didn't pull his gaze away from Buffy. "You can come with me…" His words stung Buffy and she nodded her head.

Tears streamed down her eyes. "Of course…" Xander kissed her mouth swiftly, causing a small squeal to ripple from her mouth. She broke the kiss after a long moment and looked at him sadly.

"Tell me when this is all over," she whispered, her eyes sad.

After many minutes of silence, he realized how lucky he and Buffy had been to survive their many weeks in Rome. He stood still and didn't protest when Buffy positioned her head onto his shoulder and she stood there.

"Someday it will," Xander told her, his mind in deep contemplation. "Someday."


	28. Foreordained Dead

Chronicles of a Roman Emperor

Chapter 28: Foreordained Dead

Xander and Duratius met on the balcony on the south side of the third level of the Imperial Palace on Palatine Hill. A heavy breeze hummed loudly across the balcony, making eavesdropping not easy. The newly appointed Minister of Military Affairs nodded to his former enemy at the Gerasa training camp.

"You have enormous political power now, Xander," Duratius suggested.

"It's not like I had much of a choice," Xander returned with a laugh. The breeze disordered his blackish hair. He smoothed it back from his face. "He gave me this position with absolute firmness, and yet with a rope tied behind my back, and having killed a woman and a Praetorian Guard member, he gave me it."

"He hates the Senate and loves his soldiers," Duratius pointed out. "Since Domitian, Roman soldiers were paid 300 denarii each. With Severus as leader, he has raised the total to 500 denarii per soldier."

Xander remembered the currency when he and Cato had gone to the marketplace. "Denarius. I see. That's good of him."

"He used to have a bad reputation when commanding legions in Pannonia under Commodus, but he seems to have changed." He turned to take a look at the dark city of Rome. "So do you know what a minister of military affairs does?"

Xander smiled sheepishly. "To be honest… I don't know. I guess I'm in charge of military planning and so forth."

"Do you know anything about military planning?" Duratius asked sternly.

"I do actually," Xander observed, recalling the knowledge he obtained from that one Halloween night when he was a modern soldier. "But I'm not sure how I can apply that to the style of Roman warfare."

"What other warfare do you speak of? I do not recall any other military knowledge that is out there besides the Greek, Spartans, or the Romans."

"Oh, well, it must have been Roman warfare," Xander suggested, his brown eyes seemingly laughing at his lie as he viewed both the city and Duratius.

"The Minister of Military Affairs has nothing to do with military planning." Duratius smiled politely, glancing at Xander. "You are responsible for international relations and diplomacy."

Xander returned the smile with one equally tasteless. "If I'm a diplomat, why has the Emperor ordered me to lead five or six or his men to punish the murderers of Pertinax." After the briefest of pauses, he added, "I don't know… I'm not sure if I am competent enough to follow his orders."

"I am most honored that you chose me to go along with you, Xander, and I am willing to go along with you, but," Duratius' eyes narrowed slightly, "I would expect nothing less than supreme confidence from someone who leads men into harm's way."

"Oh, I'm confident…" Xander said quickly. "I have risked my life on many occasions and I have a strong belief that I would not purposely endanger any of my men's lives."

"I believe you." Duratius nodded politely. "You showed to me that you are someone exceptional when you defeated me with a wooden sword. You also showed me your willingness to accept physical punishment for something you didn't do." Duratius smiled lightly, recalling the time he had nearly pummeled Xander because he believed he had an affair with his wife, Antonia. "I have informed a few of my men to join in your effort. They seemed rather amused when I suggested that we would be going after the Praetorian Guard. It is interesting that Caesar appointed you to such a big office and at the same time, put you in such a dangerous position. There must have been an unconventional reason, I believe."

"I'm sure there was too. In either case, I'm still alive."

"Clearly we cannot kill the entire Praetorian Guard. How do you know who is responsible for Pertinax's deaths? Should we just go to their camp and call those who are willing to turn themselves in?"

"That will not work. I have a list that Cimberius drafted of Praetorian Guard members who were responsible for Pertinax's murder that we can use to summon those men at the gates of their camp." Xander knew that the list did not contain the names of those responsible for Pertinax's deaths, but rather the list contained those responsible for Acacia and Illeana's deaths. In either case, his elaborate lie was the only way he felt could realistically achieve revenge for their deaths. Though he was willing to jeopardize other men's lives for his cause, he would do everything in his power so that none of his men, or Buffy, would be harmed.

"I see. So we go to their camp and summon those on the list for questioning and then remove them from their camps and kill them."

"The man who made the list, Cimberius, would not implicate someone he didn't feel was responsible for Pertinax's death," Xander said. "That list will serve as a death sentence."

"It should not even be a sweat, then." Duratius laughed so softly that his voice was lost in the breeze that whispered around the balcony of the Imperial Palace.

Despite the cool air of the night, after leaving the third floor balcony, Xander took his time down the steps to his quarters. There, he quickly ate some bread and cheese and then walked quickly to his study to relax.

Xander looked up briefly and out the window of his first-floor quarters. The pre-dawn air was still cool and pleasant, without too strong of a breeze. He hoped the pleasant weather would hold, at least for the time being. Then he turned back to the papers before him. Since being given the title of minister of military affairs, scrolls, orders, and rough copies of documents have been thrown at him, including the very living space he sat in. He was about to get to work on one of the scrolls when he heard Buffy enter the room.

"Xander?"

"Hey Buffy."

Buffy shook her head as she stepped into his study and saw the various stacks of papers. "You should be sleeping, Xander."

"I know, but there's so much to do." Xander gestured to the chair across the table desk.

Buffy sat down, almost gingerly.

"I'm going to have to go to Paulus' in the morning to retrieve Cimberius' list of the murderers of Acacia and Illeana." He scratched his head, sighing. "I want you to gather the gang from Cornelius' and bring them to this room. They're going to be living here now."

Buffy's eyebrows lifted.

"I asked for protection of Willow, Cato, Brittany, and Dawn, from the Emperor, since what we're going to do will surely inflame hatred against us."

"Oh, I see. I thought we were going to kill those responsible for Pertinax's murder?"

"You know Buffy… deep down, you know… that is not the case."

"Xand… How can you do this? You are putting other peoples' lives at risk for your own selfishness?!" Buffy shifted her weight in the chair, uneasily.

"There has to be justice for them, Buffy. I may have killed Antistius, but he was just a pawn following orders for Pulcher. This is my best chance at having justice for their deaths."

"I appreciate your love and willingness to have revenge for their murders, but Xander, you lied to the Emperor. If he were to find out-"

"I understand you're worried, Buff. But odds are, those son of a bitches who killed them had a part in Pertinax's murder as well." Xander shrugged. "It's not like I am doing something morally wrong here. Sure, I may have lied to the Emperor but the ends certainly justify the means, Buffy."

"What are the ends, Xander?" Buffy paused. "Murdering those men on Cimberius' list?"

"That's right." Xander leaned forward, an angry glint evident in his eyes. "I'll give them as much of a chance they gave Acacia and Illeana before killing them."

"What if Cimberius made a mistake? What then?"

"He's the one that mortally wounded Acacia by stabbing her in the chest. He was guilty in committing the murders, but more importantly, he was actively involved so he knew first hand… who was there at Cato's home that fateful day." Xander laughed regretfully. "If only I had told Acacia and Illeana to leave that house," Xander said reflectively, "but, anyway… I am not going to change my plans Buffy. Whether you like it or not."

Buffy crossed her arms and glared at him. "Don't talk to me that way, Xander."

Xander stared back for a few moments, before taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Buffy, I'm just tired." Xander pointed to the papers on his desk. "One thing leads to another."

"That excuse doesn't work anymore, Xander. Do you want me to sleep with you tonight?" Buffy asked him, now getting impatient. Something was obviously troubling him, and she wanted to rid him of those troubles as soon as he could.

Xander looked at her with a blank expression, until he started glaring. "Sure, sure. You can go to bed if you want. I'll join you after I get some of this paperwork done." Xander looked down at the papers for a brief moment before smiling at Buffy. "Goodnight, sweetie," he whispered to her.

Buffy gave him a grin in return. "Good night, Xand."

Xander tried to form some words to reply to her statement, but he could not as she stood up and headed towards the single bed. Blood was starting to rush to his head. He was starting to get lightheaded and dizzy. Sooner or later, he was going to pass out.

Xander frantically rummaged through the papers on his desk, trying to keep himself awake so he could do as much work as he possibly could.

Xander placed the bronze key in the lock of the front door of Paulus' home that had been Paulus' and now his, but the door had already been unlocked. He stepped inside. Paulus stood just behind the door.

"Xander! You surprised me! Where have you been?" Paulus said in an uproar.

"A lot of things have happened the past few days, Paulus." His smile was nervous, tentative. "I thought I'd come to say goodbye."

"Oh, by Jupiter! You cannot be telling the truth, Xander. I will miss you dearly." Paulus stepped forward and hugged him, then pulled back, murmuring in his ear, "Where's the lovely Buffy?"

After a moment, Xander returned the embrace, and they remained pressed to each other for a long time. Then Xander eased back, his eyebrows lifted, "She's at the Imperial Palace. I wanted her to stay there to relax."

"Oh, I would have loved to have given her a nice hug." Paulus forced a wry smile. "And maybe a nice kiss." He looked at Xander and saw him frown. "Of course, if it were consensual."

"I'm hoping you took the advice I gave you," Xander suggested.

"I don't drink too much." Paulus grinned. "That's about the only part I remember you told me while I was drunk. 'Don't drink too much or it will render you-'"

"Dumb. At least you remembered the best part." Xander offered a sad smile. "Your grandson was a very good man, Paulus. You missed a very poignant funeral. I wish you had been sober enough to attend." Xander slipped his hands from Paulus' and crossed the main chamber to the living room, where he had once spoke at length with Cimberius about his life, before turning back at Paulus who was still standing at the front door. "You have the list?"

"List?"

"The list Cimberius made for me." Xander grinned. "The one you and Buffy searched for and found me that one morning." His grin faded. "You do have it, don't you?"

"I burned most of Cimberius' belongings… most of it was too much of a painful reminder of what I had lost." Paulus shook his head. "Some of the things that remain are in his room… upstairs."

"You've seen the list before, you know what it looks like. You had to know if you burned it…" Xander trailed off. His fingers trembled nervously, then stiffened. "Perhaps you don't realize how important that list was."

"Maybe I did… but… I don't recall…" Paulus shook his head once more. "I burned much of his writings for fear of it being found and used for political purposes. He wrote the list, correct?"

"Yes. There was a big name written on it. Pulcher. You remember?"

"No," Paulus admitted. "But now that you have mentioned his name, I realize now why you have come for the list and… come here."

"You should already know why. I told you that the Emperor allowed me to go after the Praetorian Guard. That list is the men I need to kill." Xander laughed gently. "I came here to say goodbye, Paulus, and I did. But that list-"

"is the last thing Cimberius wrote," Paulus interrupted. "Pulcher is the son of a bitch that killed him. I know how important that list is, Xander. But it could have slipped my mind when I was burning his things…"

"I hope you did not burn it… because my life could be jeopardy if it was."

Paulus' smile was apologetic. "I'm sorry." After a moment, his eyes lit up. "Your life could be in jeopardy?"

"The Emperor gave me an order to kill specifically… those Praetorian Guard members who had killed Pertinax, but you and I both know that who I am really going to kill are the ones who are responsible for the murders of Acacia and Illeana." Xander stepped into the chamber where Paulus was standing and positioned himself near the staircase. "Without the list, I don't have anyone specifically to punish. Therefore I am in a conundrum of sorts."

"I see. You'd have to take on the entire Praetorian Guard." Paulus laughed. "Which I doubt you would try."

Xander's smile was gentle. "Right." He shifted his gaze from Paulus to the staircase and planted his right foot on the first step of the staircase. "I hope to god it's there."

"As do I, but… God?!" Paulus suddenly became hysterical.

It took Xander a few moments before realizing what he had done. He nodded slowly, and looked at Paulus for a long time. "I meant gods."

"Good. For a moment I thought you were monotheistic."

"No, no," Xander laughed nervously, playing along with Paulus. "I'm polytheistic."

"You said something earlier about Buffy in the Imperial Palace… you live there now?" Paulus asked in spite of Xander's impatience at wanting to go upstairs and see if the list was still there.

"Yes, I do. I'm the minister of military affairs now," Xander told him, rather boastingly. "Anyway… you… mind?"

Paulus, though temporarily shocked at what he had just heard about Xander's political position, failed to ignore Xander's motioning of his index finger toward the stairs and nodded. "Go ahead."

Xander smiled. "Thanks."

With that, he hurried up the stairs in hope of finding the valuable list.

Kneeling at one end of a long room on the second floor of Paulus' house, in the dreary light of a stormy morning, Xander sorted through the stack of papers that Paulus had not burned. Paulus had not given him enough assurance that the list Cimberius made was among those that was burned.

Outside of several forms of no importance, Xander had found nothing. He finally gestured to Paulus, and when the gray-haired man neared, said, "I don't see it anywhere."

Paulus turned over the first three papers he saw laying next to Xander, then pointed to a few scattered papers a few feet away from Xander. "Take a look at those."

Xander looked at the scattered papers. He could make out half of a paper with a large word that started with a P written on the middle.

"That could be it!"

"It looks like it could be. Hopefully it is."

Xander grabbed the paper and scanned it. He zoomed in on the word at the middle of the page: Pulcher. "This is it." Xander nodded and glanced at Paulus, letting out a breath of relief. "I am so glad you didn't burn this."

"I would have if you hadn't come as soon as you did. But why don't you tell me how you are minister of military affairs?"

"The Emperor appointed me that position after he told me to go after Pertinax's assassins. I'm still a little confused about what this position does..."

"But you know what a minister of military affairs is, I'm hoping," Paulus said.

"Yeah I do," Xander said patiently. "I'm responsible for military correspondence, international relations and diplomacy."

"You oversee the Roman military… essentially you are the Emperor's advisor," Paulus said, recalling his knowledge of Marcus Aurelius Cleander who temporarily ran the government while Commodus was ruling as Emperor. Cleander was head of the Emperor's security and had been in charge of several legions. His downfall came when he was blamed for a food shortage and the Roman mob demanded his execution from Commodus, which he eventually granted. "That is a very powerful yet dangerous political position. Your naivety startles me."

Xander nodded nervously. "Well… I am still responsible for international relations and diplomacy, too, right?"

Paulus shook his head. "That is just your role as overseer of the military. Trust me, I've lived a long time and I know what a minister of military affairs does. You can be seen by many to be in fact, second-in-command to the Emperor!"

Xander drew himself up in surprised dignity. "Why, that sounds nice." His eyes smiled, and then he laughed, "You're kidding me, right? Second-in-command?" He pointed his index finger of his free hand towards his chest mockingly. "Me? No way."

"Yes, you are! It is even more dangerous that you do not realize your power, because ambitious soldiers would seize the slightest chance to obtain your position, and sway the Emperor or try to win support from other soldiers!" Paulus cried, nearly flipping over from the tremendous amount of excitement struggling to burst from his chest. "But some soldiers would rather just kill you."

Xander clutched onto the list in his right hand and squeezed on it, tensely. It took Xander nearly half a minute before he started to walk out of Cimberius' room. Several worrying thoughts were running across his mind. Somebody is certainly going to want me dead, he thought to himself. He looked back at Cimberius as he entered the corridor near the stairs.

"You are certain of this?" Xander asked in a serious tone.

"Everyday Romans call them 'foreordained dead,' my friend. Do you know why?" Paulus smiled weakly. He saw Xander nod reluctantly, as if he didn't want to hear what was coming. He continued nonetheless, "The Emperor usually respects that person he appoints to power but becomes worrisome of the man's growing authority and eventually kills him. This has happened throughout Roman history."

Xander shook his head. "So not only do I have to worry about all these soldiers who want to kill me but as well as the paranoia of the Emperor?" Xander shook his head again. "I'm not sure if I want this entitlement anymore."

"You don't have a choice now," Paulus said.

"What do you mean?"

"Your position is similar to that of an Emperor. The only demotion you have is death. So…"

Xander nodded. "So… the only other position I can have now is Emperor."

"Yes. You might need to talk to someone who knows this position more than I do. But what I've told you is absolutely correct. There might be a few things I missed." Paulus flashed Xander a weak smile again.

"I've already talked to a soldier but it seems like you gave me a better perspective on things."

"Be careful."

Xander shook his head regretfully, then forced a smile, and headed down the stairs with Paulus at his side.

"I know," Xander said. Both men smiled at each other and stopped down at the bottom of the stairs. "You know something? For the first time in a while, I remember all the good things you've done for me and Buffy. There are not many people I know… who would have let us stay for as long as we did. You made Buffy happy during my absence and I am grateful for that," Xander said. His eyes teared up slightly. "You are a good man," he confided. "You are a very good man."

Paulus put a hand on Xander's shoulder and peered into his eyes, with bitter regret and pain on his face. "I apologize for my drinking-"

"Nobody's perfect," Xander said weakly. "I just hope you take Cimberius' and my advice and don't drink so much. Cimberius really cared about you and I, the same."

Paulus looked at him sadly, and gently squeezed his shoulder in reassurance. Xander took a shuddering breath, and they continued down the stairs onto the first floor. The two men finally stopped in front of the door, and waited for one of them to make a move. Once Paulus had decided to open the door, Xander carefully stepped outside, and turned to look at the old man who had gave him and Buffy sanctuary for many weeks.

Paulus smiled gently at him and said, "Goodbye, Xander. Have a good spring, and take care of Buffy. And Xander, be careful."

"I will. I promise." In his haste to get onto his horse, he didn't hear Paulus say, "Goodbye my son."

Once on his horse, Xander placed Cimberius' list into one of his pockets. As he gazed ahead over the horizon, he turned to say goodbye to Paulus. Once he had said goodbye, he watched Paulus as he rode over the roads, away from him for what would be a long time. His old self, all that was left of it before he had began training was left behind at his home, this time for good.

Within a blink of an eye he had left the Roman town and returned to the Imperial Palace. He didn't know what would occur in the ensuing day, maybe a week, or maybe a month. All he knew was that justice for Acacia and Illeana's deaths would not be easy. His thoughts of the two women were a lot more frequent now. He was sure that their spirits had been satisfied to some extent since he had not seen another apparition of them or dreamt about them in a while. But still he thought about them. He missed their touch, their smell, their laugh, just everything about them. The more he lay around and not seek revenge for their senseless murders the more regret that haunted him. If he had just sent them away from their home instead of Cato, there would have been only one dead, instead of two. Man he felt bad.

Once back in the chambers after a too-long and not-too-enjoyable ride from Paulus' home, Xander opened a door onto the wide balcony on the first floor and stepped outside into the afternoon air. A guard hurried out after him, his hand on the butt of his sword, but the balcony was empty, and the loudest sounds were laughs from outside near the courtyard, muted by the marble walls, and the whispering of the wind.

Xander stood at the balcony staring for several moments, looking skyward, but the clouds obscured any view of the sun. "Where are my friends?"

"They were put into a different room by order of Caesar, my lord," the guard said.

"My lord?"

"I am your bodyguard, Xander. You own a very desirable position. You need protection."

"I've heard that it is desirable. But I don't need a bodyguard." Xander turned from the balcony and the guard followed.

After they had stepped back into the main room, Xander slid a door bolt into its place, determined to not let anymore intruders come into his chambers. "Did the Emperor specifically assign you to be my bodyguard?"

"Caesar did. He told me to keep you alive at all costs and that if you happen to be hurt or die, I would share that same fate."

"Well I'm glad he gave me a bodyguard as a precaution." Xander let out a tense laugh. "I'm assuming you're just taking care of me in the Imperial Palace."

"Anywhere you go, my lord."

"What's your name?"

"Marcus Sergius Trebonius," the guard replied, "I am an equestrian."

Xander yawned. "Okay. I'm not sure if that means you're a horseback rider or-"

"I am an upper class Roman, my lord," he pointed out.

"Well… okay. Listen, Trebonius, I don't need a bodyguard. I appreciate you doing this for me and I know it is the Emperor's order. But I can handle my own. You tell the Emperor that and also tell him I appreciate the gesture."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Trebonius asked, dumbfounded.

After a moment, and a shared flush, Xander spoke up, "You know, you can join me in a group of five men to seek justice for the Emperor Pertinax's murder."

"My only duty was to protect you, my lord."

"Then protect me, I don't care. You said you were supposed to protect me wherever I go, correct?" Xander asked, glancing around the room.

"I guess I shall. When are we…?"

"After lunch." Xander motioned towards the bolted door, then turned back to Trebonius. "You must tell me, Trebonius. Can you use a sword well?"

"I have killed a thief before with a sword," Trebonius replied. "Other than that, I have little experience."

"Well, you have experience at least." Xander turned as Trebonius opened the door and stepped out into the wide passageway of the Imperial Palace.

Side by side, he and Trebonius walked across a courtyard toward the laughter that Xander had heard, outside of which senators and men of noble rank were gathering together.

"They're around here, I hope," Xander said in a low voice.

Trebonius nodded abruptly. "Yes, of course."

"Would you mind joining me and my friends for lunch?"

"I don't know, my lord," Trebonius said nervously. "Are you sure it would be all right with your friends?"

Xander chuckled. "Oh, it'll be fine."

"You told me I can be one of the five men. Do you know the names of the other four?"

"Well there's one girl, me, you, Duratius, and two of his friends."

Trebonius' eyes widened. "A girl, my lord?"

"Don't worry, she doesn't bite," Xander replied with a laugh.

Cato paced back and forth between the large pillars and the sides of the marble benches in the large courtyard. His boots were heavy on the marble floor, and he did not look at Xander when he approached. Finally he stopped and looked.

The older man met his glare without flinching, but without speaking.

Xander cleared his throat, and said, "Hey guys. I'm glad you all made it in one piece. How are you all doing?"

Buffy came into view from behind a pillar and walked up to Xander.

"We would like a room please," she said with confidence in her eyes.

For a moment he just eyed her with question, but he shrugged it off and glanced at Trebonius. "You said they had a room."

"Uh… yes," Trebonius said.

"Well, show them to their room," Xander said lightly, his voice showing signs of enthusiasm.

Trebonius nodded quickly, clearly surprised at the presence of the strikingly attractive women that appeared in view. His blond hair bristled in the wind as he turned his pale gray eyes towards Xander. "I didn't realize you had brought this many women, my lord."

"Just show them to their room," Xander said, smiling at him. He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm a ladies man, what can I say?"

"Oh." He walked over to Buffy and gestured her to follow him down the path in front of them.

Xander scanned everyone present in the small section of the courtyard. "Ahh," he said finding his target. Brittany, Dawn, and Willow were all standing together talking to each other, oblivious of what was going on. As Cato followed Buffy, who was following Trebonius, Xander spoke up loudly, "Girls! My friend Trebonius is going to show you to your room."

"Nice to see you still alive, Xander," Cato said as he followed close behind Buffy.

Xander smiled at Cato as he passed. He glanced back at the three girls but saw instead Dawn running straight into his arms. She clung to him and she ran a trembling hand through his black hair. Xander gave the other two women a grateful look over Dawn's shoulder. After a lengthy embrace, Dawn simply nodded and walked away to follow the group towards their room.

Brittany nodded to Xander, making eye contact to express her sincerity. She slowly walked past Xander, ran her hand across his shoulder and gestured Willow to follow her. The two girls whispered conspiratorially to each other.

Xander turned to the women, and in a tired voice asked, "What are you gals talking about?"

Willow glanced at Xander and grinned. "We were just saying how sexy you look."

"Aren't you a lesbian, Willow?" Xander returned with a quirky smile.

Brittany signaled to Willow that she was leaving. "I'll see you at the room," she said and walked away without waiting to see if Xander would say anything to her.

The red-haired witch asked, with a pout on her lips, "I can still make you an exception, can't I?"  
Xander raised his eyebrows. "You are being silly, Willow."

"So," Willow said, poking him lightly on the chest. "I guess everything went well with the Emperor, huh?"

Xander flickered a smile, but reset it back. "Well… not quite," he said. The two started down the hall.

"You're alive," she said with a laugh.

"I know, but he gave me a lot to do."

"Like what?" Willow stopped and faced him.

Xander paused, not sure how to break the news to Willow.

"Come on, tell me, Xand." She ran her hands through her long, red hair. "I mean… it must not be that bad…"

Xander raised his eyebrows again. "What do you think he gave me?"

Willow grinned in a goofy manner. "That you should be his servant… I don't know!"

Shaking his head and brushing past her, Xander said over his shoulder, "I'll tell you later."

"But why not now?!" Willow wouldn't let him go that easily.

He remained silent and continued walking down a shaded hall beside the courtyard. Willow, as expected, grabbed his arm and forced him to a halt.

"Come on, you have to tell me!"

Xander was about to tell her, but decided suddenly against it. He just sighed and responded, "Willow, it's not something I want to talk about now. I promise I'll tell you at lunch."

"Oh, please." Willow made a hand motion. "Once again, you're hiding something from me. Fine," she offered a pleasant smile, "You can tell me at lunch."

I'd have to tell everyone, he thought. "Okay." He tried to continue walking in the direction of Brittany without worrying about the inevitable, but it was hard when Willow took a hold of his hand.

"I know it has something to do with Acacia and Illeana and I hope you can just move on and accept what happened." She smiled and pulled back so she could actually focus on his face.

Xander helped her by turning her head up so he could see her face. "I wish I could, Will," he brought his hands up to her bangs and brushed his fingers through them. "You're telling me that I look good… You look really pretty."

Willow blushed, finding it suddenly difficult to hide her smile. "Thanks… Xander."

"And you are such a good person."

"Not as good as you, Xander." Staring into his eyes, Willow saw an emotion she couldn't name.

Xander caressed a strand of her bright red hair into his hand. Willow blushed again and looked away.

Xander looked as if she was about to say something else, but that moment, Cato's voice called.

"Come on, guys! I'm hungry!"

Xander turned his head to Cato, and removed his hand from Willow's hair. Disappointment soon was written all over Xander's face. "We'll be right there." The irritation at being interrupted had slipped, leaving Xander to continue speaking to Willow. Still, Willow remained blushing, inclining her head to the side as he looked back down at his friend.

"Willow, what's the matter?" Xander asked easily, his tone becoming softer when Willow's redness in her face faded, her eyes lowering towards his lips. Xander continued to study her though, watching his best friend's shoulders drop and sigh. The shaded hall had been overtaken by streams of the sunlight now, allowing Xander to see Willow's face even better. Still, he could not know what she was feeling. It wasn't in his power to continue probing her at the moment, no matter how much he wanted to know why she was blushing. It seemed so easy to reach out and touch her again, but when it came down to it, he couldn't do it.

Not many words were passed between them even when they reached their destination, though occasional glances were exchanged. The sudden silence between them was comfortable for them in the least, each of them wondering how this would affect one another. Even so, a great weight seemed to be lifted off Xander's shoulders, and he was contented to know that he was still liked by the friends that mattered to him most.

It was nearly ten minutes when everyone gathered for lunch inside a large, single four-bedroom chamber specifically given to Xander's friends for protection.

A long table in the middle of the room was set aside for the lunch, which Xander was told was usually used for special occasions. Xander's friends were seated along the sides of the table, with each of them evenly spaced a part. Xander and Trebonius sat at opposite ends.

Bowls and plates were sprawled across the center of the table, containing unique yet enticing-looking food. It seemed that everyone seemed to be eating something, whether they knew what it was or not. Xander noted, with relief, that all of his friends looked happy.

"We are so lucky," Dawn gushed. "This is like a dream. Xander, he really let you have us stay here?" She was, of course, referring to the Emperor Septimius Severus.

Xander replied with a nod, "Yes, he did. That was a part of the stipulation him and I agreed on."

"Xander is the minister of military affairs," Buffy said matter-of-factly, "but that's not all of it. He has to kill the men who were responsible for Aca-"

"Pertinax," Xander interrupted, saving himself from being caught in a lie. He frowned at Buffy and said, "Pertinax, guys, right?" He then glanced around the table at everyone, minus Trebonius. He raised his eyebrows slightly, indicating to them that he wasn't talking about Pertinax. Every one of his friends understood what he meant almost immediately.

"How are you going to go about finding the men who are responsible?" Trebonius asked, swallowing down a piece of bread. "Do you even know who is responsible?"

"I have a list of names," Xander replied. "They are all members of the Praetorian Guard."

"Xander," Trebonius went on, "going after the Praetorian Guard may be putting you in a dangerous position… though what you are doing in itself is already very dangerous."

Willow, Dawn, Brittany, and Cato all looked at each other. Only Buffy did not seem as puzzled as they were.

Xander noticed their perplexed looks and asked incredulously, "What is it, guys?"

The baffled friends whispered amongst each other and Brittany took the initiative and asked, "What list?"

Xander looked to Dawn, who whispered something to him. "Made up?" Xander whispered back to Dawn, who simply shrugged her shoulders. "No, the list is not made up. It is truly the men who committed the atrocity, written by a former Praetorian Guard member himself."

"Cimberius," Buffy said. "He was a friend of Xander's."

Willow's eyes widened. "That was the man whose funeral we attended."

"Wait a minute," Cato interrupted. "That was the man who was killed by Pulcher."

Brittany, Willow, and Dawn whispered to each other. Buffy looked as stricken as Xander felt.

"I would have told you guys earlier, but things kept on happening," Xander stated while eating a handful of purple grapes. "That list-"

"Basically allows you to be a vigilante," Dawn said, crossing her legs and making a face.

"I would have used a different word, but, yes," Xander confirmed. "But what I was gonna say was-"

Willow wrinkled her nose and interrupted, "You're sorry?"

Xander snickered and added, "Yes I'm sorry. I should have told you guys earlier. Okay? But that list is something personal to me and it wasn't something I wanted to share to everyone."

"You shared it to Buffy," Brittany acknowledged, throwing the Slayer a cold look.

"She was with me when he made the list," Xander said above the sounds of eating and conversation. "Look, if you want to put me in a corner, Brittany, or anyone else, like you guys did yesterday and treat me like a bad guy, fine… I can handle that. But I'm a human and make mistakes just like the rest of you."

Trebonius picked up a large, square loaf of bread and began walking around the long table, breaking off pieces of bread and handing them to Xander's friends. After he had finished giving them a piece of his bread, he returned to his seat and held whatever was left of his loaf of bread in the air.

"I give you my bread as a gesture of friendship," Trebonius said.

"Thank you," everyone at the table responded to Trebonius in the same tone, but not all at the same time.

Xander breathed a breath of relief, thankful for not only the piece of bread Trebonius gave to him, but the much needed breathing room from his friends at the table.

"So, Xander," Cato spoke up in a tired tone. "How are you going to kill these men? In cold blood like you killed Antistius and his lover … while they are making love, what…?"

"No I won't," Xander said through gritted teeth, obviously displeased at what he had heard. "I won't do what I did again. Besides, searching for where they live would take too long. I-"

Xander realized that he was being talked about negatively. He paused and looked directly at Brittany. His ex-girlfriend looked away too quickly for Xander to read her expression, but he was certain it was one of annoyance.

"Brittany?" Xander asked. "If you have a problem with me, say it to me, not to Willow."

"Yes, master," Brittany said hastily, picking at the grapes. "I was merely saying that you are crazy. Something everyone here, including Buffy… knows."

"Buffy is joining me," Xander said.

All of the girls except Buffy, including Cato and Trebonius, leaned forward with their ears, not quite believing what they had heard. And as Xander began to speak, not another sound was heard.

"She's coming with me," he said again.

"No," Dawn, Willow, and Brittany all whispered in alarm.

"This is the girl?" Trebonius asked curiously, staring at Buffy. "You cannot be serious, my lord."

"She has nothing to do with this, Xander. You know it," Willow said a bit too eagerly. "Please don't bring her into this. We already could be losing one friend because of this…"

"Excuse me," Buffy piped up. "Willow… This was my decision. You know I can handle myself."

"So," Dawn added, but without saying anything else.

Buffy smirked at her sister.

Cato shrugged and replied. "Buffy loves him. I can understand why she would join him, but clearly this is too dangerous for her. This is not a matter for women."

All four girls grinned at each other for a split second, realizing that Cato did not know that Buffy was the slayer. None were surprised when their grins faded, and Buffy knew that the conversation was going to stall unless she started talking.

"I have many years of training in combat," Buffy told Cato. "Nobody here will disagree with that."

"Yes," Xander replied automatically. "She can beat me up," he said with a nod towards Cato. His friend was at a loss for words and he continued, desperately trying to break the ice, "What? You don't believe me?"

"Believe you?" Cato said to himself, wondering why no one there had mentioned to him that Buffy was a skilled combatant and not a proper, beautiful young lady. "Not such an easy thing to believe."

Willow glanced at Cato. "She is, Cato. You don't have to believe it, but it is true."

"So?" Cato encouraged Willow to continue. "She is a woman. She should not be involved."

Dawn and Brittany smirked a little. Willow kept a straight face, but inside she was fuming with anger. "Buffy has saved my life many times. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for her," Willow replied. "Though I agree with you that Buffy should not go," she paused, her voice quieting on the next part. "To say simply that she is a woman she cannot go… That's not right."

Cato thought attentively to what Willow had just said. Her words were either absolutely true or were a good attempt at making Buffy sound qualified to undergo such a task. But Willow continued as Cato ran through what he had heard previously.

"I thought you were better than that, Cato. But now I see who you really are… A sexist." Willow shrugged, some things will never change. "I'm sure most Romans share your point of view."

Trebonius nodded his head. "I would say any civilized Roman would share that view." He glanced at Xander and raised his eyebrows. "Caesar allowed you to bring a woman? Was he drunk?"

"Guys, guys," Xander said, quickly changing the topic. "How's the food?"

"Good," Buffy smiled. "Thanks for the delightful meal."

Xander wasn't surprised when the subject immediately returned to his assignment to kill Acacia and Illeana's assassins. His friends, except for Buffy, always seemed to be on edge and tense ever since they received the news about what he planned to do. He was shocked however, when Willow asked him about who else was joining him. She sounded sad and despaired. It was a clear indication that she had to some extent accepted his decision. "Please tell me you have good men?" he heard Willow ask.

Xander started. "I do," he began, alternating his glances towards Cato, Brittany, Dawn, and then residing at Willow, "please forgive me. I didn't mean to-" Only to be cut off by Dawn.

"Not tell us. We get that a lot from you," Dawn interrupted. "We don't want you to go."

"I understand," Xander acknowledged.

Brittany's smirk widened. "Apparently you don't. You're still going to go through with it."

A cook who had prepared the meal came to the table before Xander could say anything else. He placed a mug in front of Xander and took the used mug beside where he had placed the new mug. "Another cup of rum, Xander."

Xander smiled back. "No thanks. I'd like to be in a good state of mind for today."

The cook looked shocked for a moment but took the filled mug he had placed in front of him away with the empty mug Xander had already drunk. Once the cook left their presence, Xander picked up the conversation by telling them what he planned to do.

"Me, Buffy, Trebonius, Duratius, and two of his friends, will go to the Praetorian Guard Camp and call for the soldiers who were named on Cimberius' list. I will say that these men are to be rewarded by the Emperor for their service. They will be lured out of the camp and we will lead them to a secluded area." Xander paused. "I've thought about this for a long time, and I feel that this is the best plan I have."

Trebonius gave a small smile at the plan. "That doesn't sound too bad," he said.

Cato frowned. "It sounds too simple. What if they don't come out?"

"They will," Xander told Cato. "I mean, which Praetorian Guard soldier is not looking for rewards. It just doesn't seem plausible that they'll not come out, you know?"

Buffy made a noncommittal sound. "Xander, you have to make sure they're unarmed," she said. "You can say that the Emperor asks for you to be unarmed."

"Okay," Xander said. "I will mention that." He really didn't have a clue what he would do if they did not come out of the camp or what he would do if they did. He could always ask for advice from Duratius and his friends. He could just work out his plan in the moment and adjust accordingly. Xander suddenly didn't want to dwell on it anymore so he switched the topic at hand. "This certainly beats Cornelius' home, doesn't it?"

All of his friends, excluding Buffy and Trebonius, took the hint and dropped their next questions, but they wondered what would happen if Xander's plan failed. His plan was beginning to form in their minds.

He would have to give it a lot more thought, Xander thought to himself. Xander looked to both of his sides and saw Dawn and Buffy exchanging pieces of bread across the table with each other. He saw that Dawn and Buffy were gazing into their eyes, blushing slightly as they split the bread apart. With their quantity of food satisfied, they ate their bread.

"You girls still hungry?" Xander asked them.

"Yeah. I just want to eat all of this delicious bread. Can I have the last of it, Buffy?" Dawn asked her sister.

"Go ahead, sweetie."

Dawn took the remainder of what was left of the bread and gave Buffy a sad look. "I know you're going to go with Xander no matter what I say. But I might as well try… Please don't go?"

Buffy sighed miserably. "I'm sorry, Dawn..."

Xander was on his feet before Buffy could finish talking. "Buffy," Xander said, "I'm going to go find Duratius and see if he and his men are ready. I'll be back in less than fifteen minutes."

"Okay, Xand," she answered, with more than a touch of nervousness in her voice. "Are we going to leave when you come back?"

"Yes."

Xander left, carrying a plate pilled with hot and cold foods. Trebonius stood up from his seat and followed him close by as they exited the room.

"Maybe you can talk him out of it, Buffy," Willow pressed.

"I've tried… believe me, Willow," Buffy told her best friend sympathetically. "Xander has been a wreck ever since they were killed, as was I, but he took it so hard. He hasn't been the same… I don't want him to be in pain any longer…"

"He won't be in pain. He'll be dead and so will you," Brittany said angrily as she took her plate, rose to her feet, and carried her plate to a receptacle at the corner of the room.

"Unfortunately I agree with Brittany," Willow said with equal ferocity as she snatched her plate and stood up quickly. She immediately headed to where Brittany had carried her trash away.

"Um… okay," Buffy said hesitantly. She glanced at Cato, expecting him to be the next one to leave the table in a fit. "Do you agree with them?"

Cato more or less grunted in reply and kept on eating.

"Look, Cato, like you said… I love Xander. I'm doing this because I love him. I may not agree wholeheartedly with endangering his life, mine, or others… But I'm doing it for love."

Cato suddenly stopped eating and swallowed. He slowly wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, looking intently at Buffy through narrow eyes. "I don't know how much you and Xander know how much you are putting me through… let alone these poor women. But you need to stop and take a good look at what you and he are doing," he said to Buffy. "You keep digging yourselves a bigger hole."

"We can climb out of it like we always do," Buffy replied firmly.

"Someday you won't."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Thanks for making me more nervous, Cato," she said.

Cato smiled bitterly. "Good. Maybe it'll make you change your decision." Cato stood up to his feet and left the table.

Buffy, however, found herself frozen to her spot by fear and fascination. She couldn't take her eyes off Cato.

"Come on, girls, let's go somewhere else," Cato barked loudly to Willow and Brittany who were at the end of the room.

The girls nodded and came out of the shadows, trying to find a clandestine part of the large room to go.

Willow pointed out a part of the room that was private and concealed behind large, golden draperies. Cato gave her arm a reassuring squeeze and the two hurried over to the location, followed by Brittany.

They walked directly in front of the table and eventually stepped through the curtains to talk and gather themselves.

The light emanating from the only door in the room became brighter and Buffy's head immediately began to hurt. She realized how tired she was. Dawn was sitting across from her, looking over at the small section of the room, hidden by curtains. They had walked into that area barely a few seconds ago and Dawn already looked like she was about to join them. Buffy wondered when she would make her move.

Dawn turned her head and glanced at her older sister.

"If you don't want to do it, don't do it, Buffy," Dawn said furiously but quietly.

Buffy brought herself out of her reverie and looked at Dawn. "What?"

"How could you let him take control of you like this? I don't know what world you're living in, but last I checked… you were the Slayer. You aren't supposed to be this weak."

"I am doing what I need to do to keep Xander alive," Buffy said. After a long pause, she added, "Part of me wants those men who killed Acacia and Illeana dead too."

"Oh, no, come on Buffy!" Dawn was practically spitting she was so mad. "I thought Xander was the only one lusting for revenge, but now you too! What about the people you kill? They'll be people to avenge them!"

Buffy saw tears in Dawn's eyes. She had done her best. It had been a hard decision to make, but it had been her decision to make. She remembered Xander being poisoned, falling to the ground, and sighed.

"There are people out there that want to kill me and Xander, Dawnie. I'm sure Xander told you all what happened…"

"Pulcher saw you leave the scaffold with Xander. I know. I'm sure he is one of those men on Cimberius' list."

Buffy looked her up and down, her gaze lingering below her neckline long enough to give her reply meaning. "Yes, he is."

Dawn gave her a sympathetic look and rolled her eyes. "Commander of the praetorian guard," she said quietly. "You kill him, you'll have the entire Praetorian Guard coming after you."

Buffy nodded and took a deep breath. "I know, but as Caesar said… one of the few things I know about him… he said something like I'd rather suffer death once, then constantly fear it." She pressed her forehead against her sister's and clutched her fingers into hers. "Xander and I fear what will happen to us if we continue to hide… what will happen to our friends… like Acacia and Illeana…"

Dawn brought her sister's fingers to her lips and kissed them. "I trust you, Buffy. Both of you come back alive, okay?"

Buffy smiled lightly. "We will."

Xander and Trebonius stood in the entry foyer of a dwelling inside the Imperial Palace, a foyer empty of decorations, as indeed was most of the Imperial Place, looking through the constricted windows of the closed double doors. Outside, the day was dreary, threatening both rain and wind. Duratius was sitting inside on a bed, with his armor mounted in front of him. Duratius' friends were already dressed in armor and had gathered beside the bed. Xander had just spoken with Duratius about his plans and what he needed for the confrontation, and Duratius had obliged completely to what he had wanted.

"Do you know Duratius' friends?" Trebonius asked.

"No," Xander replied. "They look like they are ready for a confrontation, though." He laughed. "Duratius must have told them many good things about me for them to prepare themselves for danger like this."

"I would not doubt that," Trebonius replied, shrugging his brawn shoulders. "Though I am surprised they are ready so quickly to go out and get the job done." His blue eyes sparkled as he glanced at Xander.

"I have to admit that I am surprised as well."

Trebonius laughed. "True as it may be, I feel like what you are planning to do does not seem like a farce as I thought it to be."

"You speak so confidently-" At the sound of loud footsteps, Duratius opened the doors and positioned himself, so that the two men were directly behind him. The three men filed out of the room in single formation.

Duratius, wearing black leather armor over his green tunic, turned and approached Xander. Behind him, his two friends watched patiently.

Xander waited as Duratius walked towards him, then spoke as Duratius handed him two black leather armor pieces and two swords he was carrying in both hands. "You men prepare quite quickly."

"Yes, we do. Xander, here is the armor you requested for you and Trebonius, though I hope…" Duratius paused as he stared at Trebonius' slim, but muscular figure. "You understand, if we have a skirmish, it'd be best to stay in the back for your safety."

"I do, indeed," Trebonius replied. "I will try to stay near Xander, however."

Duratius corked an eyebrow as he glanced at Xander. "Tell me, really, Xander… Who is this man? Your new lover?"

"Bodyguard." Xander smiled. "The Emperor must know that I am an important person or he wouldn't have given me such worthy protection."

"Ah…yes, but you and I both know he could have given you someone bigger." Duratius smiled generously.

Xander kept smiling as he led the way down the corridor inside the Imperial Palace, passing lavishly dressed Roman men and women who were watching them with worry and uncertainty.

Once they had entered the large courtyard where Xander's friends had waited earlier that day, Duratius gestured to the men that had followed him out of his quarters. "These are two of my dearest friends, Marcus Durus, and Gaius Manlius. They both served in Severus' twelfth legion."

Xander held back his laughter from the latter man's name, while suddenly becoming uneasy about the legion Duratius had told him they had served. It was the same legion Antyllus had served under and the men certainly would have known Antyllus. He glanced at both of the men and nodded appreciatively. "I'm Xander, minister of military affairs…" He pointed his index finger in the direction of Trebonius, standing beside him. "This is Trebonius… my bodyguard."

A long, marble bench was beside them and Xander offered the bench at one end to Durus, and he took the other end. Duratius sat to Xander's right, where he sat to Trebonius' left. Duratius' men were the last two on the bench to Trebonius' right, where Durus was at the end.

"I have a question," Duratius began, "and that question is how to act when we call out the Praetorian Guard names on the list. Are we supposed to appear irate or calm?"

"Calm," Xander supplied. "I want us to appear like we are calm and in a good mood. My plan is to say that the soldiers' names on the list are to be rewarded for their service to the Emperor." Xander smiled and arched his eyebrows at Duratius. "You like the plan?"

"Not a bad plan, but I know they would be skeptical." Duratius stood to his feet and slipped on his silver-tipped gloves, then unsheathed his sword, the sole weapon he had brought, and began gently swinging it in the air.

The sword made a distinctive swooshing sound, which caused nearby bushes to bristle at the strong movements. To the right side of Duratius was a cobblestone road, and to the left was the Imperial Palace.

"You see, Xander," Trebonous pointed out, "one must take into consideration that the Emperor and the Praetorian Guard currently are on bad terms. So a reward would seem extremely out of the ordinary."

"Why don't you instead ask them to come out to negotiate peacefully with the Emperor? It would be more reasonable than a reward for essentially nothing," Manlius said pleasantly.

"I know the Praetorian Guard. I was almost killed by the man who made the list himself. They will use force before diplomacy. So a reward seems like the best option," Xander explained to Manlius.

"So we would tell them that they are to be rewarded for their service to the Emperor? You mean… their disservice?" Durus queried.

"Well, I could say that we have gifts for them to offer reconciliation with the Emperor." Xander snorted.

"So if they agree, we lead them to an isolated location. Do you know where?" Manlius queried.

"I don't know," Xander admitted.

"We should have a place. We cannot just find a random location because it can risk that we are seen," Manlius said.

Xander lowered his head. "I wish I knew a place."

"The Apennine mountains. It is not too far from the Praetorian Guard Camp," Duratius said.

"The mountains are so vast that you can find an isolated area anywhere," Manlius suggested.

Xander frowned, but did not respond.

"What? You know of another place?" Duratius asked.

"How far are the mountains?" Xander asked.

"About fifteen minutes if we ride fast enough," Duratius said simply. "Look, these men would travel for hours if they knew they would be offered gifts. Fifteen minutes is not too long of a time."

"You want to kill them right away…" Trebonius glanced at Xander, although he knew his statement was obvious to everyone around him, including Xander.

"I want to kill them as quickly as we can. The longer we ride with them, the more questions that will be asked. We will have to be frequently keeping them caught up with this complex lie."

"You seem certain that will happen, Xander," Duratius offered, halting his swinging motion with his sword. "How certain?"

Xander shrugged. "Very much. I mean, now that we've discussed this a bit, I realize that these men probably aren't going to be the typical fish going after the bait, you know?"

"Oh?" Duratius asked. He sheathed his sword into its case and sat down beside Xander again. "What if they smell an ambush? Have you considered that?"

"No I haven't really," Xander acknowledged.

"You have to have an alternative plan if things go wrong, Xander," Duratius told Xander in a serious tone.

"Well, I want to contain these men within a circle with our horses while we ride and if they know what's going on… we can minimize that circle and strike them down with our swords." Xander shrugged. While has still wasn't too sure about what to do if things went haywire, he wasn't about to reveal any signs of weakness to the men.

Duratius laughed. "Like throwing honey amidst a swarm of bees… I like that scenario, Xander."

"It will work," Xander said.

"We should leave before the sun goes down," Trebonius suggested. "We shall ride hard to the Apennine."

Xander nodded.

Manlius glanced at Xander and Duratius, nodding his head in Xander's direction. "You and Duratius… would you prefer the front or back of the ring?"

"I want the back," Xander replied. "I also want Duratius to be in the front, so he can lead us to the Apennine mountains. I want to cover the back so I can see the men at all times."

"Ah… but what if they try to run and get past you. I would be equally as good in the back with you…" Duratius frowned.

"It does not have to be so," Xander offered smoothly, realizing that Buffy at his side would certainly be formidable. "I want you in the front, Duratius, Durus on the right, Manlius the left, and I the rear… with Buffy and Trebonius at my side."

"Yes… Buffy… your woman… I am anxious to meet her…" Duratius offered another hearty laugh.

Xander smiled, hoping he could keep smiling when he met Buffy to begin their departure towards the Praetorian Guard camp. He needed to make sure she was confident and ready to go along with what would be a dangerous task.

Outside the guest residence, a cold misting downpour drifted from the low gray clouds, collecting on the marble floor and running down the door in jagged streams. Inside, in front of a fireplace, two figures embraced as though they would not see each other again.

After a long time, Xander gently separated himself from Willow's hug, good as it felt, and stepped back.

"You're a stubborn asshole," Willow said to him softly.

"It will end tonight," Xander said. "Once I'm back, we'll worry about how we get out of this god forsaken place."

"You know I'm already working on that- or have you forgotten I'm a witch?" Willow offered a mischievous grin, her small hand reaching out, her fingers caressing his cheek momentarily.

"I don't know how you made it here, Willow, or how you've managed to survive on your own in Rome with Dawn and Brittany… But I certainly praise you for that…" He shook his head. "Please… just make sure everyone is safe while we're gone..."

"I'll try…" Willow drew out the word. "But you shouldn't be the one to worry about who is going to be safe. You're going into the lion's den, remember?"

"Yeah I know. I'm sorry for putting you and everyone else through this, but this is my best chance for revenge." Xander paused, then added, "Could you do me a favor?"

"You don't have to be sorry. I did the whole revenge act before, so I'd be hypocritical to judge you, Xand. But sure," Willow admitted.

Xander laughed briefly, before continuing, "I have a bunch of papers to fill out as minister of military affairs… All you have to do is sign…"

"I'm your secretary, now, huh?"

"No, not at all," he said quickly. Then, in all fairness, Xander had to remind himself that those papers were in some way, more of a burden than what he was about to do.

Willow nodded, smiling. "I'll do it, Xander. It gives me something to do."

"You sure? You don't have to-"

"No, I feel honored," she said brightly. "I'd like to see how this military runs… In history, it was one of the best."

Xander winced. "Use your best judgment on the papers," Xander said.

"I will, Xander…" Willow grinned. "What should I do if someone sees me doing your paperwork?"

"Tell them you're reviewing them?" Xander wasn't sure about how others would react if they saw a woman signing important military documents.

"Okay. I will do my best to not be seen and try to do them as efficiently as I can." Willow's lips curled humbly.

"Thank you, Willow. You're always reliable."

"Just not old reliable," she said, pointing a finger at him. She gazed into his eyes for a brief moment, then added, "What about the others?"

"The others?" Xander blurted.

"Cato, Dawn, Brittany… They should just sit and wait for you and Buffy to come back?"

Xander nearly shook his head, thinking about how bored they would be if his plan dragged out longer than expected. Then he realized it would be better for them to lay low and out of sight in case something went wrong. "Yeah."

"All right. Well, Xander… I guess this is goodbye." She shook her head, trying to hold back the tears pricking at her eyes. "I'll try to worry too much about you." A warm smile followed. "But who wouldn't?"

"Worry about me?" Xander raised his eyebrows, grinning lightly. "Nah. I'll be fine. So will Buffy."

"This is not a joke, Xander," Willow pointed out. "You are going to kill people, am I correct?"

Xander frowned. "They are guilty so they will be punished."

"Judge and juror." Willow glanced toward the windows, "I suppose you should go. When will you come back?"

"Before midday of tomorrow."

Willow nodded and turned toward the bedchamber to tell Dawn, Cato, and Brittany that he was about to leave, but Buffy intercepted her and drew her into her arms.

"I'll be safe, Willow," Buffy whispered. "Thanks for caring about me."

"I always will."

It was a very long moment before Buffy released her. "All right," Buffy said as she looked away from her. "I don't want to make this any longer than it should be."

"Yeah, if you're confident you'll come back okay, it's not a big deal." Willow could hear the smile on Buffy's face with her mild-mannered response. She knew she shouldn't look at her, or she might delay her and Xander leaving. She wanted them to do what they had to do and come back as quick as they could. Looking at Cato, Dawn, and Brittany huddled together inside the bedchamber, sitting on a bed; she prayed that Xander and Buffy would be okay. "Just remember, you have people waiting for you. You're not all alone like you used to be…"

Buffy looked back at her, her lips hid in a troubled line. "Your right…" she said it slowly, not knowing where the conversation had gone.

"That's good that you know that." Willow glanced at her, smiling, and then turned towards the bedchamber. "Guys, they're leaving!"

All three of their friends jumped to their feet.

Seeing their friends walk past the curtains from their bedchamber, Buffy and Xander glanced at each other for a brief moment, then quickly looked back at their friends.

Dawn approached her sister who now had her arms open, waiting for a hug. Dawn laughed with a shaky voice, and she hugged her, tight enough to feel her sister's heartbeat, and soft enough to hear her say under her breath, "I love you, Dawnie."

Tears began flowing down Dawn's cheeks, and instinctively, Buffy reached a free hand up and wiped them away. She whispered as Dawn touched her nose with hers. "We've been through worse…"

"I know, but… this is different," Dawn said. She dropped her gaze to the floor. Her face burned and itched with anxiety and worry for her sister's safety.

Buffy understood. She always did. She broke the hug and reached out her hand and took Dawn's in hers.

"Vampires are stronger than the Romans, Dawnie," she whispered softly, caressing her fingers over Dawn's hand. Dawn felt the roughness of Buffy's hand to be very warm, and she felt ready to sob.

"It's funny. I thought I was living a dream," Dawn said, and she looked at Buffy directly with sadness. She pleaded, "I wish I knew what it felt like to be in love."

Buffy seemed confused, but Dawn leaned into her, still clutching her sister's hand. "You will, someday Dawnie… and I promise you Xander and I will come back to see that happen one day…" She paused and looked sideways at Xander, feeling guilty all of a sudden, wondering if she should really go ahead with it and leave her sister behind. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and said rather quickly, "I gotta go, Dawn. Don't worry about me. We'll be back…"

Dawn looked at her sister, her eyes bright with tears. "When?" she asked worriedly.

"Midday tomorrow," Xander interrupted dryly.

Buffy and Dawn turned their head and tiredly looked at Xander.

Xander swallowed and took refuge in another area of the room as their conversation continued.

Buffy smiled at Dawn gently. "See it won't be long," Buffy said soothingly. "Dawn… I gotta go…" She looked at Xander. "I'll make sure he's safe."

Xander overheard what the Summers' girls were saying and felt himself flush slightly in the dim light, while he could see a tense Cato approaching him.

"I hope this is the last adventure you go through, my son." Cato grabbed Xander and gave him a hug. "Till then my friend."

Xander stood back and smiled at his long time friend. "Till then."

Cato looked over Xander's shoulder and saw four men dressed in military armor in the dark shadows of a corner, staring at him. "Looks like you have necessary reinforcements," he said.

Xander smirked and patted his sword at his side, "The only reinforcement is what I got right here."

"Ah, yes," Cato said with a sigh. "The sword. Lest you forget that you pack a good punch, you know. Knocked me out cold that one day," he finished, mock-sadly.

"It took two punches," Xander said, rolling his eyes at the reference of his strength when he had protected his deceased wife, Acacia, from being physically abused by him. "Are you going to let me go or are we gonna stand around until I become as old as you?" Xander teased.

"There's nothing wrong about being old," Cato said. "But if you must go, you must go."

"I'll just say my goodbyes to Dawn and Brittany."

Cato snorted. "Like they will give you a warm goodbye," he laughed hoarsely.

Xander let himself walk away from the conversation and for once didn't worry about what Dawn and Brittany harbored against him. He walked stiffly over to the other side of the room and stopped where he could feel Dawn and Brittany's intense glares burning into him.

"How are you gals doing?" His voice cut through the silence in the air. Brittany and Dawn looked surprised. Buffy stood a few feet apart from Dawn and her eyebrows rose in Xander's direction, not sure what he was planning to do. Willow circled around the group, content to listen to what was going on.

"Could be doing better," Brittany said coldly. "It's amazing after all this time you finally see us… how quickly you are to leave."

"So I guess you are doing fine?" Xander hesitated before forcing himself to tell them what he really wanted to say. "Girls, I'm sorry about my stubbornness. I hope you can forgive me," he told them in what he hoped would be taken seriously.

"As long as you and Buffy come back alive, we forgive you," Dawn said. None of them, they knew, could hold a grudge against Xander for very long. But Dawn had tried; she had really tried to continue to hold her anger at his thirst for revenge. "But thanks for the consideration, anyway."

Brittany fought down a blinding jealously. "I hope you and Buffy come back okay, too," Brittany said, forcing herself to sound compassionate, though she could care less about Buffy.

Xander nodded, looking around the room. The four men in the back were holding their swords in their hands when Duratius came out of the shadows, motioning his head towards the door.

Standing patiently, Xander turned to look at his friends, where Brittany was conversing with Dawn and Cato. None of his friends were paying attention to the armed men in the back of the room, except Buffy, who paused, her eyes widening at the sight of a powerfully built man approaching them. Duratius' eyebrow shot up as he caught Buffy's eye.

Xander was just turning to tell Duratius to give him a couple minutes when he saw Buffy staring and followed her gaze. Xander watched as Duratius walked right to his side, his irritated look on his face suddenly brightening.

'Here we go,' Xander thought. "Yes, Duratius?"

"So this is your lover? I can see why you did not sleep with my wife, Xander," Duratius said, a wide grin on his face.

Buffy turned her head to look at Xander. Xander looked back at her, opened his mouth, then closed it.

"The name's Duratius. It's nice to meet you, Buffy." Duratius extended his hand in greeting.

Buffy also extended her hand. "Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you," she said. Duratius shook her hand. "You're a good friend of Xander's."

"'Tis was not always so," Duratius said casually as he glanced at the other friends staring at him, awestruck. He nodded at them.

"Let's just say we got off on the wrong foot," Xander laughed.

"It's weird really, how I seemed to follow him around, picking a fight or insulting him. Credit to him, he was not a coward," Duratius beamed.

Their happiness was lost on the rest of Xander's friends, minus Buffy and Willow. They looked at Xander to see him smiling weakly, and with a sad look on their eyes, they walked away.

"Dawn, Cato, Brittany, where are you guys going?" Xander asked as he watched his friends walk to another part of the room.

"Somewhere where you're not," Brittany said.

Xander looked down at his ex-girlfriend and he noticed something in the black-haired woman that wasn't there before; confidence. It was like a fire had been lit inside her.

"Dawnie, come back," Buffy said as Dawn walked her way back to the bedchamber.

Dawn turned to the others and said, "I can't believe you guys are so carefree about this." She turned to Buffy and said, "I love you Buffy. Come back safe."

Buffy nodded. "I will, sweetie."

About a minute later the rest of the group of men that were to accompany Xander and Buffy came through talking to themselves, when they noticed the tension of the group standing there. "What's the problem here?" Durus asked.

"Didn't I tell you guys to wait in the back?" Xander asked, clearly uninterested in what they had to say.

"It's getting dark, Xander. It will be a perilous journey to the Apennine in the night. We must be going," Trebonius replied.

While the men were talking, Dawn shook her head, her eyes filled with tears, and went behind the curtains that led to the bedchamber, where Cato and Brittany already were.

After about a minute one of the men noticed Buffy standing in front of him. "So this is the woman that accompanies us," Manlius said edgily.

"Yeah," Xander said. "And if any of you lay a hand on her…"

"Relax, my friend. We all know that she is your woman," Duratius told him softly.

After a few moments of silence, Duratius spoke again. "Durus, Manlius… you have any more armor to give to this beautiful woman?"

Willow smiled and then looked at Xander, feeling out of place. "I guess I'll let you guys do what you have to do." Then she sighed. "I'll speak to the others and try to get them to calm down. And I will get access to your room and those papers…"

Xander looked back over at Willow kindly and shook his head. He understood.

Willow brightened a bit. "Acacia and Illeana must be worth it." She hesitated and then added, "I love you."

Xander thought for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and said to Willow, "I love you too. You know, Will, I feel guilty because I have no way of thanking you for all that you've done…"

A cocky grin spread across Durus' face. "I got spare armor and a sword on my horse," he said to Duratius. He danced on his toes and swung his own sword through the air. "I can't wait to cut these spoiled Praetorians in two."

"You don't have to. Xander, you're the best man I ever knew," Willow recalled with sincerity.

Just then, Buffy's voice interrupted. "I think your bodyguard has a point, Xander. I want to get this over with so I can come back to see Dawn." Buffy looked at Willow. "Sorry about leaving you, Willow, but we will be back."

"Yeah," Willow replied, glancing at Buffy. Then she exchanged looks between Buffy and Xander. She bit back a sob and turned away, making her way for the bedchamber. On the way, she passed half-way through the curtain to the bedchamber. Before she could walk through the curtains, she turned and looked back at her friends. She forced a weak smile at the sight of her friends looking back at her and walked into the bedchamber, past the curtains.

At that, Xander pulled out the crumbled list from his pouch on his right hip and flattened it the best he could. Once it had been flattened, he stared at the names on the list.

The group of men shared a laugh at Xander's review of the list. Duratius clapped Xander on the shoulder and effected a bit of his brute humor. "Need help with the pronunciations, aye Xander?"

While Xander tried to make sense of the names, Buffy's eyes wandered around the room and she realized that the men all around her were double her size and strongly built. Her nervousness eased a bit at the good company she had, but there was still plenty to worry about.

Xander lifted his head from the paper and stared at Duratius, his brown eyes flashing through the darkened room. "You can call out the names. Make sure you sound calm."

Duratius nodded numbly, and then realized it was not a very polite response, and said quietly, "Indeed, sir."

Xander inspected the list one last time, and handed it to Duratius. "Make sure you keep good care of the list."

Duratius looked pensively at Xander for a moment, then nodded again. "I will."

Xander watched while Duratius slowly looked through the list. Duratius paused a couple of times and placed the list into his own pouch on his right hip. Finally Xander glanced at Buffy with a small smile.

"You ready?" she asked eagerly.

"Yes," Xander said. "Let's go."

The two headed towards the door, and watched as the rest of the group followed them anxiously. The door slowly opened with a loud creaking noise, and stopped forebodingly. When Buffy and Xander stepped out into the outside corridor of the Palace, they looked around and noticed that the sky was graying towards darkness.

"Come on, let's move!" Xander said loudly.

By the time they had reached their horses at the far end of the Imperial Palace, which was a good hundred yards from the guest quarters and past the courtyard, the cold rain hand turned into an even finer mist. The shapeless gray clouds had lightened, and a cooler breeze swirled through the long, stone-paved walkways. Occasional light gusts of cool air varied with warmer damper air.

"This is where Severus' legions hold their horses," Duratius said, as Xander mounted a random horse.

"These are good looking horses," Xander acknowledged.

A discreet cough interrupted their conversation. "Here comes the beautiful lady," Manlius said.

Xander turned in his saddle.

Buffy stood by a black horse.

Beside her were Durus and Trebonius. The bright blonde woman had an apologetic smile on her face. She was wearing dark armor and had a sword sheathed inside a case at her side. "I feel like Joan of Arc," Buffy pouted.

"Who the hell is Joan of Arc?" Duratius asked, climbing onto his horse.

Xander glanced at Duratius. "Oh, just some fictional person." He then turned to Buffy and said soothingly, "That's not a bad thing."

Buffy nodded, and added, "Well, it's just something different for me, that's all."

Trebonius and Durus mounted their horses, and Buffy soon followed.

"Are you sure these are horses? Because this one seems too thick and muscular for me!" Trebonius said.

Duratius examined the white horse Trebonius was on. "That there is a stallion. He still has his testicles."

Trebonius heard a whining sound and made a disgusted face as he attempted to move the stallion, hoping to be in enough control to guide it to specific locations.

As Xander and Duratius rode out of the Imperial Palace and down Palatine Hill, Buffy, Trebonius, Durus, and Manlius eased their mounts into position, leaving them significantly behind their leaders. The precise clopping of hoofs echoed through the damp evening as the column headed between the neatly trimmed gates that marked the entrance into the Imperial Palace.

Buffy glanced forward at Xander and Duratius leading the way, then at Trebonius, riding beside her.

Xander's bodyguard seemed to feel Buffy's glance and twisted in the saddle, grinning as he said, "You like war, my lady?"

Buffy grinned and shook her head. After a moment, she turned in the saddle to glance at Durus behind her. "I feel like we are an army."

"It feels like that, doesn't it?" Trebonius laughed. "It will have to take an army to get rid of those Praetorian Guard bastards, I tell you. They have had too much power."

"Their bodyguards like you, aren't they?"

"Yes… but they get paid more and are overstaffed. Plus, they protect more meaningful men," he said with a smile.

Buffy noticed the obvious reference to Xander. She flashed a fake frown and said playfully, "Hey, I can kick your ass, you know that right?"

Trebonius gulped.

Once out on level ground and away from Palatine Hill, they turned their mounts eastward, in the direction of the Praetorian Guard camp. The misting rain stopped completely, but clouds of fog rose from the aged stones of the road, twisting into hazy shapes in the more common bursts of cold air that had begun to chill the warmer, sweltering air.


	29. Procinctu

Chronicles of a Roman Emperor

Chapter 29: Procinctu

When Xander and his force stopped for the first break of the night, a good twenty minutes after leaving Palatine Hill, darkness had completely overtaken the city. Yellowish light from city apartments bathed itself across the stone buildings and low cobblestone streets through which lit the narrow trail they followed in an effort to reach the Praetorian Guard Camp on the western end of the city. Their stopping point had been the first wide spot of open ground in several minutes, sandwiched between the Baths of Titus and the Colossus of Nero. To the south was the Colosseum, massive and overwhelming, its exterior stone shining in the darkness.

After chewing through a chunk of bread that he had taken from the leftovers of Xander's feast, Duratius took a long swallow of water that was so cold that he shivered, even though the night was already chilly. He took another bite of the bread, and crumbs flew everywhere as his teeth crunched through it.

Beside him, Xander grinned.

"Didn't have lunch?" Xander asked.

"How are you guys doing?" Buffy chimed in from beside Xander and Duratius.

The two glanced up from where they sat on their mounts as Buffy and Trebonius rode up. Durus and Manlius followed shortly behind.

"We're almost there," Durus announced. "We could be riding away with their heads on pikes by dawn."

"If everything goes to plan," Manlius added.

"So far so good," Xander offered.

A low dull and jarring squeal from the white stallion shook Trebonius, rattling through his frame so violently that he reached out and grasped Buffy's shoulder to steady himself on his stallion. He swallowed, then glanced around.

Duratius' brows knit. "That one wants to fuck, Trebonius."

Buffy glanced from Duratius to Trebonius. "You want me to ride that one, Trebonius?"

Trebonius glanced at the mounted Duratius and Buffy.

"What?" Durus asked Trebonius.

"I feel sick… really sick…" Trebonius forced his words out, even as he lowered himself down from the horse and began to fall to his feet.

Xander hurried over beside Trebonius while on his horse and helped Trebonius get untangled from his stirrups.

Both Trebonius and Duratius ignored the looks that passed between Durus and Manlius as Trebonius' feet hit the dirt road with a thud. Buffy held the stallions' saddle tightly so it wouldn't run off, and Xander hopped off his horse to tend to the visibly shaken Trebonius. As Trebonius tried to catch his breath, Manlius and Durus approached, riding their horses toward the group.

"Trebonius…" Manlius offered.

"It's okay," Trebonius said softly. "I'm just not used to riding horses… let alone stallions."

Trebonius glanced down at the ground, then eased himself into the arms of Xander.

Xander swallowed as his hazel eyes traced out the rough outline of his bodyguard's face. "You need some water?" he asked.

Trebonius nodded, swallowing again. As Xander's voice died away, Trebonius looked at Duratius, who was holding a canister of water. "Can you toss it?"

"Sure-" Duratius started.

"Here, I'll pass it to him," Xander offered. He walked over to Duratius, who was still mounted on his horse, and snatched the canister away from him. Hastily, he went to Trebonius and gave him the canister.

"Thank you." Trebonius lifted the opened canister and drank.

Xander looked down the road, along which were strewn tents and booths that covered the sides. The center stretched down into the darkness.

"I've been down here before," Xander observed.

Trebonius swallowed down as much water as he could, then lowered the canister from his mouth.

"Yes, I remember this place Xander. This is the same street you bought me bread," Buffy said.

Xander looked at Buffy and smiled. Then he glanced at Trebonius, who nodded. At Trebonius' nod, Xander handed the canister to Buffy. "And it will be the street I offered you water," Xander said to her, smiling.

Buffy ran her fingers over his hands as she took the canister from them, then cocked her head sideways before drinking down the remainder of the canister.

For a time, Xander looked at Buffy, silently, before Duratius snatched the canister away from Buffy.

"Damn, you're going to drink all of it aren't you?! Good quality water isn't easy to find here you know?!" Duratius cried.

Buffy shuddered, silently, numbly, relishing the taste of the pure water, of the man she had gone with down this street and to the Baths of Titus. She could still recall having oral sex with Xander there, and how much she had enjoyed it.

Trebonius shivered, then squared his shoulders.

Xander put his hand around Trebonius' shoulder, gently, and squeezed.

"Can we be of any help, Trebonius?" Durus asked.

Trebonius hesitated, then shook his head. "I'm fine. I am just feeling sick because of that damn stallion."

"You could ride my horse and I'll ride yours," Xander suggested.

Trebonius grinned widely, as if a weight had been lifted off of him. "Will you?"

Xander nodded. He took control of the saddle from Buffy and stepped onto the stirrups, while Trebonius and the mounted pair of Durus and Manlius went to the front of the line. Trebonius grabbed the saddle of Xander's former horse and leaped onto the saddle of the brown horse. He looked at Duratius. "We best be riding to the camp. I don't want to be the excuse for us coming back late to the Palace."

Duratius lowered his eyes. "I am ready."

Trebonius forced a smile. "Okay. Let's do it."

Duratius swallowed. Mounted beside him, Manlius and Durus showed a cold and grim smile that bore a hint of satisfaction.

Trebonius smiled, a hard smile that was becoming too familiar. "I'd like to butcher those spoiled Praetorians just like the lot of you."

"We're not killing them because they're Praetorians," Duratius said worriedly.

"Yeah I know. They killed the fine emperor, Pertinax. But there should be a time when we dissolve that stupid position, because they practically run this fucking empire!" Trebonius smiled again. "Besides, I think we can take their whole damn Guard. Most of them are overweight and out of shape. That's more than an excuse to hack them through!"

Xander frowned. So did the rest of the group.

Trebonius looked at the man he had sworn to protect. "I'm sorry, Xander. I just hate the damn Praetorian Guard."

"Don't we all," Manlius stated.

"They're one of the few workers that actually can choose exactly how much they should be paid," Trebonius continued. "While we common soldiers have to accept whatever lousy pay we receive." His eyes traveled across each of those around him. "We should be going."

"Yes, we should." Manlius inclined his head.

After a moment, so did Durus. Then the two men turned their mounts northward and rode along the trail where Duratius and Trebonius were heading.

Xander waited until the rest of the group was out of earshot, and mounted last.

Xander's thoughts kept darting between the men ahead, and Buffy beside him. What was going to happen in the coming moments? Had he gone too far by endangering everyone's lives for his own revenge? Or was he doing the best he could? And what about his bodyguard who now showed that he had existing anger towards the Praetorian Guard? Would he be the Henry de Bohun that wants to end the skirmish as quick as he could? Would he start the trouble for him and his group?

As they rode slowly along the straight trail, following the rest of the men, Xander turned to Buffy. "I worry that some of these men have their own agenda… especially Trebonius. If they divert from our plan… Both of us will be dead."

"You're worrying too much, honey. You heard him. He just hates the Praetorian Guard."

Xander nodded. "Maybe I am. Yet… I have this bad feeling… maybe today is not the best day to do this…"

"I think Julius Caesar thought the same thing before he crossed the Rubicon," Buffy said wryly. "After he crossed the Rubicon river, he said something like 'the dye is cast.' That is where we are, Xander… unfortunately…"

Xander laughed, roughly and humbly. "You learned all of this in Ms. McPhillips' World History class? I can remember you sleeping half of the time you were in that class."

"Well, I was awake for that one day when we went over the Roman Civil War." Buffy eased her black horse forward, frowning as she considered Xander's words for a time. "Why don't you know anything about Roman history?"

"I do," he laughed.

"Uh huh," Buffy teased. "Who was the first emperor?"

"Yeah, yeah, first emperor," Xander said. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and then leant forward on the white stallion to smile at Duratius who looked back at him. When Duratius turned back around on his horse, Xander glanced at Buffy. "Julius Caesar."

"Looks like you don't even know who the first emperor was," Buffy said, unable to hide her enjoyment.

Xander smiled at her, reached back and patted her back and said, "Who is it, then, Buffy? It was definitely Caesar."

"Oh my gosh!" Buffy laughed then said in a mock serious tone, "This is so easy. Augustus."

"Augustus who?" Xander asked loudly.

Buffy blushed and looked in front of her at the turned heads of Trebonius, Duratius, and his two friends, Durus and Manlius.

Xander noticed her embarrassment and he glanced to where she was looking. All of the men were looking at him as if he was a child. He looked at them, laughed, and said, "I'm just joking with her. I know who-" The men turned their heads away from him before he could finish. "… Augustus was…" Xander trailed off, then glanced at Buffy and whispered, "Who was Augustus?"

The men who were leading the group sat on their horses and waited for them to be far enough away from Xander and Buffy before they all broke into an uproar of laughter.

"Augustus who?" Durus mocked, trying his best to hide his amusement.

"He was the first emperor. I don't know." Buffy stared at Xander and said cautiously, "Xander, make sure you don't get into a conversation with a Roman about their history, okay?"

"Sure. I won't. You do the same history Buff," Xander smiled and gave her a small wink, which made her giggle as they rode away.

A dark blonde-haired woman cried out, gasping for air, as Pulcher slowly entered her. His hands gripped her cheeks while he nuzzled her neck, momentarily intoxicated with her sweet scent of perfume. She clung onto his broad neck loosely, holding on for dear life, biting his shoulder while her body adjusted.

Banging her against the bed frame, Pulcher began to slowly and rhythmically thrust his body into her. He pushed her upwards with each movement, his hands keeping her in just the right spot to continue his thrusts. Her bobbing breasts in front of him wouldn't leave his line of sight. Urgently, he captured one of her breasts and suckled the nipple, still increasingly thrusting into her, sending her into stupor.

The bed shook and rattled, and a couple of nails spun and rolled, all of which made noises almost in sync with every thrust Pulcher made into the woman.

She began to cry out Pulcher's name in a murmured tune, intertwining her frequent moans as she arched her back in time with his thrusts. Pulcher was beginning to get weak, his strength was diminishing, and his mind was vulnerable to lose contact with reality with every gasp he made.

He cried out her name just seconds before she came with her own earsplitting reply. He fell onto the already littered floor, landing on his clothes and boots with her on top of him, her hand submerged on his genitals. Both of them panted heavily, speaking completely out of breath.

"You certainly are worth more than 50 denarii," Pulcher teased with a smile.

"You know it. Why do you keep paying me by the way? You know I don't want to be your whore any longer. I love you."

"That's what they all say, Livia…"

A knock came on the door. Both froze, holding their breaths as they eyed each other with big, surprised eyes.

A muffled but recognizable voice trickled through the door. "Pulcher, I need to talk to you. It's urgent," Arpineius said.

Pulcher sighed and pushed Livia off of him. He sat up and glared down at his naked, sweaty body. "Damn. That was some workout."

Livia pouted when she found herself no longer on top of her lover. She frowned at Pulcher. "It's not over, yet. Come here," she said, making a grab at the Praetorian Guard commander.

Pulcher pushed her hand aside and jumped to his feet, dressing himself back into his standard military attire required for a Praetorian. Once he had placed his metal Praetorian Guard helmet around his head, with turfs of hair on the roof of the helmet, he glanced at Livia. "You know you have already exhausted yourself, whore. Get dressed. I'll have one of my men pay you. Now come on!" he yelled before walking across the room towards the door.

Arpineius poked his head through the door, staring dreamily at the naked woman. "I'm betting she is worth 70 or 80 denarii?"

Pulcher looked at his second-in-command officer and laughed. "Pay her a 100."

Livia saw both men staring at her idly, then ran screaming into the bathroom.

A grin spread across Arpineius' face as Pulcher analyzed him.

Pulcher smiled. "You want to fuck her? So be it… But after you tell me your 'urgent' news."

"She's gorgeous. In fact, she looks awfully similar to Xander's woman-"

"What difference does it make?" Pulcher cut him off, his voice now with an edge to it. "I fuck people that used to look like my mother, does it mean anything? No." He took a few steps closer towards Arpineius and stared at him accusingly. "What do you want to tell me?"

Arpineius stared at Pulcher, noticing the stiffness of his jaw, the narrowed blue eyes penetrating his own. There was no point in prolonging it; the answer was obviously going to be bad news. "There are at least five armed men approaching the camp on horseback," Arpineius said, resignation clear in his voice.

Pulcher's eyes fell to the floor as he rubbed the back of his sore neck, returning his attention to Arpineius who stared worriedly at him. "Who else knows?" he asked, fully aware of how weak he sounded.

"Tarquin, Considius, and us," Arpineius replied. "Should we mobilize?"

The praetorian guard commander's eyes narrowed. "They must be Severus' men. No, no. Do not tell anyone else of this matter," Pulcher said.

"Why would Severus' men come here… armed?" Arpineius asked curiously.

Pulcher said nothing, staring in another direction.

"Pulcher…?"

"We would be foolish not to mobilize at least a handful of men. Tell Tarquin to assemble six to ten men and prepare them for battle. Make sure it is out of the sight of these approaching men," Pulcher said, carefully choosing his words so he would not make a tactical blunder. Apparently, he had chosen unwisely.

Arpineius frowned. "Tarquin?! Why should he assemble the men?!" he shouted, clearly enraged.

Pulcher sighed. "You are too important to be hurt in a mere skirmish. This is just a precaution."

Arpineius nodded bitterly. "As long as it is just a precaution. If we are to attack them, I want to be a part of it." He put his hand on Pulcher's shoulder and led him out of the room. "What shall we do?"

"We shall greet them. I want those fools who guard the gate to leave the gate closed."

"Do you want me to do anything?"

Pulcher shifted his eyes down towards Arpineius' hand on his shoulder, then turned his attention back to Arpineius. He looked into his second-in-command's eyes. "Take your fucking hand off me."

Arpineius smirked. "Of course." He shook his head and turned away.

Still wearing the black leather armor from Duratius, Xander rode slowly along the road, northward toward the Praetorian Guard camp. His eyes glanced at the raw sewage strewn beside the roadside, and sniffed in the scent of untreated manure across the streets, below the apartments, and he swallowed, almost thankfully, whenever there was a wind that numbed the sense of smell.

In front of him, some of the men were less able to control their gut reactions.

As Buffy and Xander passed the last of the sewage, Duratius turned in his saddle, although he did not look directly at Xander. "I cannot believe people throw their waste out like this. Even we soldiers take better care of our shit."

"This is the first time I've seen a part of the city like this," Xander replied. "I didn't realize people could be so disgusting."

"I feel bad for the children that live here…." Buffy paused, before her eyes narrowed at Duratius. "Who takes care of this?"

With a shrug, Duratius replied, "It is probably the Plebeians. I'm sure they get paid well to get rid of this garbage."

"I hope they do," Xander said.

"We should not lose our appetite for dinner." Duratius added smoothly, "We are almost there. I want everyone to be calm like Xander wished."

"Easier said than done," Buffy replied.

"We need only look to the east and the camp will be there." Duratius bore a wry tone.

"So this arrogant brute will lead us all the way to the Apennine?" Manlius shook his head.

Duratius lifted his chin proudly. "Once we have the men in question well in hand, I will lead them without egotism or pride. I will lead them like a friend."

"Like a friend? We don't want to be their friends. We are killing them by Jupiter!" Durus laughed.

"We have to show that we are on good terms or they will not come out unarmed. We have to play the role as a friend," Xander explained.

"We may, but I already have enough conceited, self-important friends," Durus said, looking at Duratius with a smile.

Duratius laughed. "You want to cut me in two, as well?"

"No. I'd rather cut you in four or five," Durus replied sarcastically.

Ignoring the interjection, Xander continued, "Remember guys, we are supposed to be in a good mood." He took a deep breath and said to the group loudly, "I will tell the Praetorians that we will lead them to a place where the Emperor has given them gifts to them as a sign of an agreement to end the hostility. I will say that the Emperor asks for them to be unarmed and that we are only armed to protect you from any mob that might arise in the night."

Duratius nodded, continuing to listen.

"The praetorians that are on the list… I want them on horseback. If they are to be on foot, it would take us until dawn to reach the mountains. I also do not want them on one of our horses."

Duratius fingered his chin with his right hand, the one that did not hold the reins. "The men on the list… you say you want them on horseback? In other words, you are saying you are giving them a chance to escape?"

"But as I said earlier, we are going to contain them inside a circle so they do not try to escape," Xander said mildly.

"I know that," Duratius replied. "But taking everything into account, the only people who will be keeping a good eye on the men are those in the back. Me, Durus, and Manlius will be focused in the front, leaving a chance for them to leave through an opening around us."

"Then that is a risk we will have to take," Xander replied. "It is a genuine concern, but we will be within striking distance if they decide to ride off."

"When we reach the Apennine, what then? We politely ask them to get off their horses?" Trebonius asked with a laugh. "The horses might have to be slaughtered if needs be…"

After they had ridden a time, Xander added, "I know Buffy and I can use a sword. I'm assuming the rest of you can too. If you are good enough with a sword, the horses should not be harmed."

"And we shall take their horses afterwards?" Trebonius asked.

"Yes," Xander said simply.

Duratius licked his lips. "If it comes to that, I will stake my claim for them, right Xander?"

Xander shrugged, easily. "If you and your men want them, that's fine with me."

"I do not agree with giving them horses but if I am going to take them after they die, then I guess it is not as bad as it sounds." Manlius straightened in the saddle, looking eastward along the road that led to the Praetorian Guard camp.

"So is everyone okay with the plan?" Xander asked sternly.

Manlius looked at Xander nervously. "What's the signal for killing them?"

"When I stop," Duratius said.

Xander glanced from Duratius to Manlius and nodded gravely. He then turned to look eastward, where they were now beginning to turn onto the road, toward the Praetorian Guard camp.

Pulcher stepped out of the Praetorian Guard camp's main building, glancing to his right at the gathering of soldiers, who apparently were becoming increasingly aware that something was going on. With a wry smile, Pulcher crossed through the vacant lot in the center, towards the front gate.

Under a wet evening moon, a cold spring wind gusted around him, shooting the dirt into the air, as he claimed a handful of long swords on a broad sword rack. He looked through the front gates, and could see six horses riding towards the camp. Two guardsmen, one guarding each side of the gate, were waiting anxiously for the arrival of the group.

One of the guardsmen instinctively glanced behind him nervously and saw Pulcher, then instantly asked, "Pulcher, should we let them in?"

"No." Pulcher shook his head.

"What do you plan on doing, Pulcher?" the same guardsman further questioned.

"Talk to them." Pulcher crossed the center of the lot and approached a stall where there were at least ten horses resting peacefully. He quickly found his own gray horse and strapped his equipment behind the saddle.

As Xander rode with Buffy and the four men along the granite-paved street, far dryer and dustier than previous streets, he looked around the street. He saw no sign of life around the area that was so prevalent in the streets they had passed. The street had no apartments, tents, or raw waste.

The camp was less than twenty feet from where they were riding, and yet felt like it was much farther from where it stood. As Xander had expected, the gates were closed, with little sign that the guards in front of the gate would unbolt them. The group halted outside the gates.

Xander dismounted, and Duratius soon followed.

As Xander turned and walked to the gate, with Duratius at his side, he caught a few whispered remarks from the guards.

"They brought with them a whore…"

"I wonder how much she costs…"

Xander tried to keep a pleasant smile on his lips as he stopped a few feet in front of the gate. Duratius pulled out the list from his pouch and unfolded it.

"Men!" a familiar voice behind the gates called. "You must be here for a reason."

"We are," Xander admitted.

Both Xander and Duratius stood silently as the man who had spoken came into view behind the gate. He was a squarish man, clean-shaven, with short-cut brown hair and disorderly bushy eyebrows. His blue eyes surveyed Xander for a long moment, until Xander glanced away. Then the man snickered and shook his head. "Xander… The Emperor should have executed you."

Xander offered him a detestable smile. "He likes his messengers."

"I should have killed you when I had the chance," Pulcher spat out bitterly. "You murderer. How can you slaughter an unarmed man and kill an innocent woman? You coward!"

The two men looked at each other through the gate as if from opposite sides of a great gorge, Pulcher's crystal blue eyes dark with hatred, Xander's filled with unspoken melancholy. Duratius was at a loss to make sense of the strange situation, and he thought he should be glad to see some induced anger on Xander's part, but for some reason, it made him uneasy. Xander was too focused, too strong for a response as he stood still near Duratius. There was little honor to continue in a verbal argument with Pulcher.

"What? You want me to feel sorry for you? You can take your sadness and shove it up your-" Pulcher stopped abruptly and gulped, blinking his eyes in confusion.

Xander stared at him as if similarly stunned. "I know we have our differences… and I am sorry for the deaths of Antistius and his lover…" he blurted with an agonized expression. "If I could change what happened, I would. But as messenger for Caesar, I offer you some good news."

At that, the habitually suspicious Pulcher whistled and shook on the gates loudly to alert Tarquin and his men, with more urgency than he had expected.

Yes, he would kill Xander if he ever got a second chance, he would kill him and all of his friends, and slowly, too, so they would feel every part of pain that he could utilize on them. He could keep a man alive for days using the best torture techniques known. Once he had implemented what Tiberius was known for as Emperor when he used the equuleus, a racking form of torture. It began when the subject drank a large quantity of wine, then was tied with a lute string, so he or she could be racked at once with the girding of the string, and with the pressure of urine. He had done this upon Commodus' orders primarily towards Christians and slaves. He considered Xander something worse than that lot combined.

Pulcher allowed the brutal reverie to ease the memories of Antistius that threatened his sanity.

Xander watched Pulcher with narrowed eyes as they adjusted once more to the moonlit dimness. He shifted his eyes towards the background of the camp and at the assembling of armed men approaching from a distance. He had become excruciatingly contained, at an appearance of calmness and tranquility.

He should be angry at me, Pulcher thought grimly. But he wasn't. This time he wanted some answers. If he had to put up with Xander's disturbing behavior, he wanted to know why.

"What is this good news?" Pulcher asked firmly, turning towards the shadowed figure that had accompanied Xander a few feet away. "Why did you bring an additional man?"

Xander looked at him slowly and remained silent.

"You came here to kill me, is that it? What is it, damn it?!" Pulcher pressed further with more insistence.

Xander sighed deeply, preparing himself for the fabricated speech he would give to Pulcher. He wanted to make it sound as believable as he could. "Caesar wishes to meet with you at the Apennine Mountains to give you gifts to end the hostility between you. He is there unarmed and wishes for you to do the same."

Pulcher inhaled slowly and then released the air in a determined rush. He waited until he could feel the breath of Tarquin and his ten men surround him. "If this Emperor really wanted to meet me, he would have come here. And explain himself to me and my men," he said, referring slantwise to the men surrounding him. "However, I am anxious to talk to the bastard. It is in our best interest to do so."

Xander sighed deeply again, feeling a mixture of nervousness and relief. Then he frowned. "Unarmed?"

Pulcher laughed half-heartedly. "You want me and my men to go unarmed with you… who are armed? It should be the other way around."

"Actually," Duratius interrupted emphatically. "Caesar has called for only a handful of men to come."

Pulcher glanced sharply at the husky, shadowed figure. "So that's why you're here. I thought you were Xander's bodyguard." He noticed the list in his hands. "I hope I'm on that list."

Duratius lifted the paper up and held it in front of his face. Instantly, he began calling out the Roman names, and Pulcher approached the gate further, blinking expectantly at his fellow Guard members' names. "Great!" Pulcher cheered, rubbing his hands together as he turned to Tarquin and his men behind him. "Okay… so pretty much everyone that is with Tarquin."

A flicker passed through the blue eyes of Pulcher, and Duratius' face slackened.

Duratius looked at the list as a word appeared, blinking quickly. "Ar-pi-ne-ius?" Duratius read aloud, puzzled. How do you pronounce that? "Who's Ar-pinei-us?"

"Ar-pine-ius," Pulcher corrected. He stared at Duratius' blank expression critically. "He wants Arpineius…" He turned and scanned Tarquin's men. "Arpineius?!" When he saw Arpineius emerge from the shadows in the distance, he pointed at him, as if to illustrate a point.

A semblance of calm returned to Pulcher's eyes and face as he turned back to Duratius. He raised his right hand in the air, as if to ask why his name had not been called.

Duratius frowned. He looked back at the list in front of him. "Pulcher…"

Another flicker passed through Pulcher's eyes and his expression changed. He frowned as he heard Tarquin's name announced. "I don't get it… Why does he want this many people? He knows I control the Praetorian Guard…" A flash of uneasiness coursed through him. He glanced at Xander who stood silently beside Duratius, and then to the background, where he could see Buffy mounted on horseback, along with two other armed men. "Why are you and your men armed? Messengers do not come armed."

"Maybe they're lying so they could bring us out of the camp unarmed and kill us." Tarquin said with a sigh, patting Pulcher on the shoulder. "We do know that Xander hates you."

Xander's reaction to Pulcher's guardsman's dead-on comment was instant and unexpected. Duratius' large hand shot out and gripped his sleeve firmly, his face pinched with fear. Taken aback, Xander waved his hands, shaking his head quickly. "Don't worry! We are not here to kill you." He ruffled his hair and smiled. "We are armed for your protection. The Roman mob's views have been very resentful towards the Praetorian Guard ever since Caesar's speech at Cimberius' funeral."

Tarquin tilted his head in a gesture of concern that was rapidly growing amongst his men. "We need protection from them? I could kill each of them with my bare hands," he whispered to Pulcher.

Nodding, Pulcher turned towards Xander. "You should allow us to bring our weapons."

Fighting the urge to laugh like a maniac, Xander managed a strangled reply. "Right. So you could stab me and Buffy in the back. We have no reason to trust you with your weapons." He stood back from the gate, glancing warily at the two men who were guarding the gate beside him.

Pulcher's eyebrows shot straight up. "And we have a reason to trust you-?" He asked, a grin pulling on his face. "We have every reason to butcher you at this moment for killing one of our men. You killed Antistius and his lover in cold blood-"

Despite maintaining his composure before, Xander choked, turning red. "He poisoned me!" He snapped, glancing around to make sure no one would react angrily to his remark. "Perhaps at your order."

"I did make the order for him to poison you." Pulcher admitted. "You should be thankful I asked for a more decent death. I could've asked him to decapitate you."

"Really?!" Xander cried, moving towards the gate. "What kind of man are you?! Trying to kill men in such a despicable manner?!"

Pulcher studied him for a long moment, then nodded, as if Xander's behavior had confirmed his suspicions. "This is why we don't trust you."

When silence finally lasted for a few seconds, Arpineius forced himself out into the open, though the fatigue and chill lingered.

Xander closed his eyes as his anger increased. The images crashed back with incredible clarity. He could hear the screams of Illeana and Acacia. He saw their maimed faces. He heard whispers from Pulcher's men surrounding him, but could not make out the words. He opened his eyes and saw a man push himself through the group and into the open. His eyes lit up. He recognized the man. It was the same man who had knocked him unconscious at Cato's home and was the same man who had beat him while he was defenseless in jail. Xander let out a small grunt as he widened his eyes.

Arpineius stood beside Pulcher. "Look, I know how you feel…" Arpineius said with concern towards Pulcher.

"You don't," Pulcher said tersely, throwing an angry look at him. Then, realizing who he was talking to, he quickly apologized. "I'm sorry Arpineius. I don't know what came over me."

Arpineius' eyes caught Xander's stare and he glared at him. Then he directed his eyes at Pulcher. "I don't care how you treat me, Pulcher," he barked. "I won't have any of my fellow Praetorian Guards proscribed because of your hatred of this man. Is that clear?"

Pulcher paced around the gates, unsure of the agitation he felt. He hated Xander with such fury, but he could not understand why. Xander had killed Antistius, but that still did not explain his enormous hatred of him.

"I just want him dead," he said breathlessly. "He is a criminal."

Arpineius watched his superior's pale, sweaty face with concern. "Fight it, Pulcher!" he commanded. "You must resist this hatred you have. I already have done so. Didn't you hear what he said? The Emperor is waiting for us?" Arpineius was puzzled by Pulcher's disinterest, and this fueled his anger. "Damn it, by Jupiter! Do you not care for the lives of your men?!"

Inwardly, Pulcher did care. The cold sound of Arpineius' voice made his skin crawl, but he could not reveal his weaknesses to his men. "That is not the point. The second we withdraw our arms, he will kill us."

"He just told you why he is armed!" Arpineius' voice said angrily. "He is the Emperor's servant. He must exhibit pietas!"

Pulcher stood still for a moment, as if wrestling with conflicting thoughts. He could not hide the shock when he suddenly realized that he had to agree with Arpineius. He knew that Tarquin and his men were on Arpineius' side. He could sense it.

Pulcher's glance shifted uneasily from Arpineius to Xander. "You were foolish to lead a brigade of armed men to our camp to deliver the Emperor's message. But we will comply."

Xander shifted unsteadily beside the gate, watching Pulcher's men unsheathe their swords and toss them on the dirt. He searched his mind frantically for something to ease their coming worries.

"Thank you," Xander said with a nervous smile. "We do, for the sake of time, encourage you however… to be on horseback."

Pulcher frowned at Xander. "Shut up, Xander. You are no leader… You are a follower. A dog…"

Xander's smile faded and his gaze fell from Pulcher's face to his own hand which held his sword. His hand was shaking.

Duratius stared in awe at the sight as the men walked away towards the horse stall. He then glanced up at Xander's face. Sweat glistened on Xander's forehead.

"There are only seven names on the list. There are twelve men going back for horses. Say something, Xander," he said insistently. "We cannot be outnumbered by seven men."

Xander's hand still trembled. "Men!" he called out nervously. "I want only seven guardsmen to come. The men who were called from the list!"

As Pulcher reached the horse stall, anger had struck him once again. Why does he want us unarmed? Was the Emperor planning to kill them? Why does he want them on horseback? He didn't understand this at all.

"The Emperor wants to please the mob, my lord." One of the soldiers next to Pulcher whispered, quietly enough so none of the soldiers had heard what he said except Pulcher.

Pulcher shook his head in disbelief. "The Emperor implied that we should be killed at Cimberius' funeral. There is no reason to trust him."

Tarquin stared quizzically at Arpineius and then turned to Pulcher. "What if that list is a proscription list?"

Pulcher didn't answer, just watched. The men had reached the point where they were inside the horse stall and stopped. They paused for a dozen seconds then split, three heading for their horses, while the remaining nine stood in their tracks. Pulcher breathed in sharply, and Considius opened his mouth to speak from the crowd, but waited. Waited to see what decision Pulcher would make. It would be a bold decision he knew. He waited and watched.

"Where did Xander say we have to meet the Emperor? The Apennine Mountains?" Pulcher asked his group.

"Yes," one of his men replied firmly. The rest of the seven soldiers nodded in unison.

Pulcher growled in frustration; the tension and the exhaustion were continuing to affect him and if he continued to show that he was unsure what to do they would no longer rely on what he had to say. All of that was unimportant to him at the present moment now though, they had to figure out a plan soon before Xander and his group became suspicious themselves.

"You and I both know that the Emperor would not bother meeting us there." Pulcher stared at each of the men who had been called on the list. "That list is a proscription list."

Tarquin nodded once. "So we do not obey Xander …"

"We will bring the seven men he called for and no one else," Pulcher replied sternly as his mind worked to solve this dilemma.

"How can you follow his word? I want to come with you…" Considius said loudly. He was amazed at how Pulcher had taken such a passive position.

"You were not called on the list, Considius." Pulcher paused for a moment before continuing. "I want those men to come. Severus must have known that we are the best of the Praetorian Guard."

"I resent that!" Considius stepped forward and faced Pulcher, squinting towards him.

"We have no time for squabbling!" Pulcher stepped back and sat back on his heels, carefully considering the situation.

"Pulcher!" Arpineius protested. "They don't even know who Considius is. Let him replace one of us they don't know about who is going."

Tarquin approached Pulcher about him swapping one of the seven men called on the list for Considius. Pulcher pointed out that they needed someone in their core group to be at the camp in case things went awry. "Sure," Tarquin agreed. "We both know that we need one of us to stay behind. But are you sure you want Considius running things if we fall?"

After much persuasion, Pulcher finally gave in. "Okay, Considius can go. Arpineius stay."

"No," Arpineius shot back.

"What?" Pulcher frowned and raised his eyebrows, glancing at Arpineius in shock.

"Xander knows who I am," Arpineius admitted. He looked seriously at his protective superior who was now starting to calm down. "Pulcher… I could see it in his eyes. He knows who I am."

"A man like Xander wouldn't forget someone who knocked him unconscious," Considius stated matter-of-factly.

"He is right, Pulcher," Tarquin pointed out.

Pulcher's blue eyes narrowed and he pursed his lips and nodded. "Tarquin, stay behind. I doubt no one would be more worthy to keep things in order." A tiny grin formed at the edge of Tarquin's mouth. "You sure Xander doesn't know who you are?"  
"I led him to you for the meeting you had with him, my lord," Tarquin replied. "But I'm sure he has a vague memory of it."

Pulcher folded both arms, lifted both eyebrows and grinned wolfishly. "We'll just hope that when your name was called, they didn't get a sense it was you," he shrugged. "But I think you should leave and go to my chamber."

Tarquin gave Pulcher a compassionate look and nodded his head in obedience and left to Pulcher's chamber.

Pulcher headed for where his swords were strapped on to his gray horse. Arpineius was out behind him, grabbing swords that were sloppily collected in a bucket. Pulcher stopped what he was doing and gave Arpineius a half smile and a nod. "You got the right idea." He turned his head to look at the remaining five guardsmen standing dumbfounded at the outer edge of the shed. "Grab a few swords… strap them to the horse with cloth and make sure you do a good job concealing them. There's cloth a few feet from where Arpineius is standing. Wrap it quickly."

Considius pulled out his own sword from its sheath and took a few steps toward his good friend Arpineius. "I doubt you can find a sword in there that can match this one?" Considius asked with a big grin on his face. He handed his sword to Arpineius.

Arpineius, slightly startled, hefted the sword and examined it carefully. "It's nice. It's a shame such a fine sword is used by such an amateur." Arpineius looked up at his best friend as he finished and he saw Considius' face change slightly into frustration.

"I was being playful," Arpineius stated.

"Sure, sure. I believe you," Considius was quick to reply. He snatched his sword back from Arpineius' hands. "It doesn't matter what sword you use anyway."

"Two swords, right?" Arpineius glanced at Pulcher, who was wrapping cloth over his sword on his horse.

"Yes," Pulcher said.

Arpineius gave his best friend a grateful look, then nodded, "You're right."

Considius looked at his friend as if he was looking at a ghost. "So are we going to ambush them when we're in the mountains?"

Arpineius opened his mouth to say something and then closed it as he felt Pulcher's breath.

"Unless they strike us first," Pulcher responded to Considius. He walked past Arpineius and Considius, holding onto the reins of his horse, and turned his head slightly, without turning completely to look at them. "As much as I hate Xander and his whore, I want to make amends with the Emperor."

"So do we," Arpineius pledged with a big smile. He turned to Considius and reassured him, "unless they strike first."

Considius sighed. "If they strike first, they may not even give us a chance to respond."

"That's a risk we'll have to take," Arpineius answered. "We needn't be concerned. I know those men and that whore. They can be killed without weapons."

Xander saw Pulcher walk out of the horse stall, followed by his gray horse, and a few other guardsmen with their horses. Both Buffy, Trebonius, and Durus stopped speaking behind him.

"You guys ready?" Xander asked.

Quickly, Buffy dismounted from her horse so that she stood beside Duratius and Xander. She put an arm out to pull Xander away from the gate. "Let's get on the horses. Who knows what they will do?"

Buffy waited until Pulcher's strained blue eyes switched from Xander's to her mist-green ones, then she dragged Xander with her strength and put her hand on his chest. "Xander," she said firmly. "Get on the horse." She turned to look at Duratius. "You too, Duratius."

Buffy stood there as Xander and Duratius got on their horses, her eyes transfixed on Pulcher's. Then gradually she stepped back and her tension came down a notch. A slight incline of her blonde head told the men behind her to make a perimeter.

Buffy slowly relaxed her defensive posture, her eyes focused on Pulcher's stony face.

The gate creaked open to let out Pulcher and his men. All of his men and their horses soon congregated at the front of the outside of the gate, but no one made a move to come even close to the area where Buffy stood, still radiating tension. Buffy's presence gradually soothed the guardsmen's nerves and her tension gradually diminished.

An eerie silence had overtaken Xander, Duratius, and his men as they watched the events unfolding between Buffy and the Praetorian Guards.

Trebonius raised an eyebrow at Xander. "Was this part of the plan?"

Xander cleared his throat to steady his voice and whispered, "No. But whatever she's doing, I think it's the right thing."

Buffy's composure and lack of fear in dealing with the Praetorian Guard's fierce gazes raised her esteem in the eyes of her former captors. At the same time, the men were in awe of her beauty and physique displayed by Buffy and could almost feel the rage surging through her body.

Eventually, when it had become obvious that Buffy had become relaxed, so did the group of Praetorian Guards and the thick anxiety that had been hanging in the air dissipated.

Buffy observed the seven men about to join them in their journey and chose Pulcher to be the one to speak to and declared, "Hello gentlemen. For our safety, we ask you to be mounted on your horses and to travel at Duratius' pace… the man who called your names on the list. We also ask you to be enclosed in a circle of our horses to protect you from any disorderly mobs."

Pulcher looked at his men and shook his head in disbelief. "This whore was the same one we captured not too long ago and she is saying that we need to be protected from disorderly mobs?"

Buffy knew her words of warning had not convinced Pulcher, but sometimes a woman's words would give them an added edge and perhaps his men would agree with Xander's proposal.

"Pulcher, just let it be. We know she cannot harm us or any of these men. Go along with the Emperor's wishes," Arpineius counseled.

"As you wish," Pulcher admitted dejectedly, realizing once again that Arpineius was becoming the voice of his men. Pulcher glanced at Buffy and forced a smile. "We will follow your wishes."

Left standing alone as the Praetorian Guard moved towards her from the gate, Buffy ran back to her horse and gazed up at a perfectly calm Xander.

"Good job, Buffy," he smiled.

Buffy climbed onto her horse, leaned back, and looked at her best friend. "Thanks," she replied. "I was sick of being a spectator."

Durus, Manlius, and Trebonius just rolled their eyes and Duratius shook his head.

Xander wearily looked up and met Buffy's emerald gaze. As all sense of feeling began retreating from his limbs at her attractiveness, he lovingly gazed upon her soft, pink lips and imagined what they would taste like. He mustered all the strength he had left as he shakily, yet gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. He struggled greatly to close the distance between his horse and her horse but to no avail. Fortunately for him, the effort was not needed as Buffy closed the distance for him and captured his dry lips with her own. The kiss seemed to last forever, and despite the Praetorian Guards being in full view of what was going on, Xander kept on kissing Buffy with as much passion as it had began. After a pleasurable moment, Buffy gently pulled away and solemnly looked Xander directly in the eye. Her bottom lip quivered as she sadly asked, "Why are you doing this, Xander?"

His reply was soft. "I want to love you with all my heart, Buffy. My heart is broken because of these men… I have to feel better."

"Killing them is not going to make you feel better, Xander," Buffy remarked.

As the Praetorian Guard members got on their horses and rode into earshot, Xander quickly finished to Buffy, "maybe not. But it will make Acacia and Illeana feel better. That's all that matters."

A small, sad smile broke through her face for a moment and curved one side of her mouth, "I understand."

Xander, seeing Buffy's distress, moved his horse next to hers and touched a hand on her arm to soothe her. "I have to do this, Buffy."

"Please spare us your bullshit," Pulcher said angrily.

Xander looked startled as he turned to see Pulcher and six other men on their horses, glancing at him frustratingly.

"Go ahead," Pulcher sneered. "Make your damn circle. If that's what you think you should do… do it."

Xander's heart was heavy. He was getting a rush of doubt flow through his mind. But before he could consider the possibilities, all of his men and Buffy had formed a circle around Pulcher and his guardsmen.

Duratius elbowed Xander in the ribs warningly as Xander's face suddenly grew fierce and focused. "Xander, get in the back. Let's do this quick now. We got quite a journey to make tonight."

Xander nodded and without even turning to glance at Duratius, he whipped his reins into his horses' sides and galloped down to the back of the circle where Buffy was.

Duratius looked confused for a moment, before corking his eyebrow in disbelief. "I hope he knows what he's doing."

End of Chapter 29


	30. Road to Purgatory

Chronicles of a Roman Emperor

Chapter 30: Road to Purgatory

That night, Xander, Buffy, his four other men, along with seven Praetorian Guards, all left the Praetorian Guard camp on horseback and started on their way towards the Apennine mountains.

In the back of the group, Xander rode on his horse with Buffy riding her own horse at his side, while Trebonius rode a little bit ahead of them, leading his horse with a short rein.

The journey on horseback had really worn out Xander and he leaned his head against Buffy's shoulders. And Buffy was loving it. Xander's signs of affection could make her uneasy, especially at this time, because of what they were about to do, but she also realized that this could be their last night in Rome. There was something truly amazing about having Xander in her arms, trusting her completely to provide him with all his emotional needs, to protect him, to love him. She wiped some tears from her eyes that had rolled down her cheek with the back of her hand.

Trebonius was so absorbed in his own observation of Xander with Buffy that it wasn't until Duratius turned his head around and frowned that Trebonius realized that he needed to get Xander alert. He pulled his horse back with his reins and pulled at Buffy's side.

"Is everything alright?" Trebonius asked, poking Xander in the arm and gently sighing in relief as Xander quickly lifted his head and glanced at him.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Xander said coarsely.

"Good." Trebonius grabbed his horse's reins and pulled behind Buffy and Xander, then came out beside Xander's left. "It looks like we are entering the mountains. We might do it sooner because of treacherous roads," he whispered into Xander's ear.

"Sooner? Why?" Xander asked, keeping pace with Trebonius, clutching Buffy's hand in his as they rode. "Is there something wrong, Trebonius? Roads should not be the sole reason."

"No. There's another reason." Trebonius pointed to the darkening sky, to show Xander that a storm was coming.

"Man, where did that come from?" Xander asked, bewilderment obvious in his expression.

Xander waited for a response from Trebonius but he seemed to be just as bewildered and clueless as he was. Xander had no idea and he didn't like it. It was early in the morning and a storm like this was something he had not been expecting. And the clouds were so dark that they almost looked abnormal. He could also sense an eerie smell in the air as they made their way out of the city and into the mountains. It was strangely quiet. Buffy felt something strange was going on as well.

"Where are we going, Xander?" Buffy asked, rushing to be on pace with the horse movements of Xander and Trebonius. As she finally was on pace, the first traces of lightning tore a hole through the middle of the sky and thundered all around them. Even the Praetorian Guards were shaken.

"There's a river just down the road. After the river there is a cave. We can ambush them there," Xander whispered to Buffy, also loud enough so Trebonius could hear. He was familiar with the area they were about to go through. He and Cimberius had passed through that area in the mountains on their way back to Rome from Gerasa. He glanced at Trebonius. "Tell Duratius of my plans. Do it quickly."

Trebonius nodded.

As the seven Praetorian Guards rode on, they thought their eyes were deceiving them. Right in front of them was dark, gray clouds, and water began to shower over them. They were just entering the Apennine Mountains where Xander had told them they were to meet the Emperor to receive gifts. They had assumed they would be there without any weather concerns. And now there was. Caesar would surely cancel meeting them in this dire weather.

They had rode for several minutes, nearly an hour. They rode through everything from thick buildings, to muddy cobblestone streets, to narrow alleys. They had talked quietly to each other, and conspired just in case something awful would occur, and observed the men and woman surrounding them to pass the time. Pulcher did most of the talking, but Arpineius would respond to him just as much but succumb to his superior's decisions.

Suddenly, a man they had overheard during the journey as Trebonius came out from beside them, glanced at them, and raced on his horse to get to Duratius who was leading them.

Pulcher sent back a sarcastic grin as Trebonius rode past him. "That's right! You better make this quick! We're not going to get sick in this weather for bloody Caesar!"

Then Pulcher kicked his horse on its side, and tried to escape their circle, with Arpineius and Considius riding right behind him. Buffy and Xander pulled their horses forward, while Durus and Manlius pulled theirs backwards, making sure they did not escape.

Tired from the exhausting ride, Pulcher backed off from their tight perimeter, and grabbed his horse's reins, leading his horse back towards the middle. He had tried several times during the trip to escape their circle but had done so unsuccessfully. It was beginning to frustrate not only him, but his fellow guardsmen.

"C'mon, guys. We're not gonna ride away. Things would just go a little bit faster if we weren't in this damn perimeter!" Pulcher said hurriedly as he peered down the row of mountains.

Duratius turned his head, after having heard what Trebonius had said. "We're nearly there!" Duratius said loudly.

Pulcher looked deep into the mountains, a worried look on his face. He could see a grassy area beside a river wedged in between one of the rows of mountains where they were heading.

"Maybe it'll be alright. Caesar might be sheltered somewhere," Arpineius reassured Pulcher, and he, along with six other Guards, turned their horses down the road towards the river to follow Duratius.

Together, Duratius, Manlius, Durus, Trebonius, Xander, and Buffy escorted the Praetorian Guards towards the river. After explaining Xander's wishes to Duratius, Trebonius headed to the back of the circle to seal the perimeter and prepare himself for the oncoming attack.

Just as the caravan was about to reach the shimmering waters ahead of them, a couple of Romans from an orchard near the river walked over to the road. "What the hell?" One of them said, and he pointed to the men jammed between others on horseback.

"This will be interesting to see where they will go. Those mountains are a death trap. I'm sure they are not crazy." The other stated as he grabbed a few fruits from his friend's hands, and watched in stunned awe as they passed them.

Xander sat on his horse for a moment, a bit perplexed by the two Roman men watching them, but quickly looked ahead, determined to focus on the job at hand.

By the time they got to the river, there were no signs of Romans anywhere. Xander found himself staring at Duratius as he straddled his horse, making sure to note if he was moving. Duratius made his way across the shallow river very carefully. Everyone followed suit.

"Do you fools have any idea where you are going?!" Pulcher asked as he observed his surroundings.

There was no reply.

"Come on. Do you?!" Pulcher asked desperately.

"Calm down, Pulcher," Xander warned from behind.

"Ah, someone speaks!" Pulcher said, as he turned his horse around slightly to get a look at Xander, nearly colliding his horse with Arpineius' and Considius'.

"Hey, watch it!" Considius cried.

"Oh, Considius. You might drown in a few inches of water!" Pulcher stated with a smile as he regained his balance and pointed to Buffy and Xander whom he had a chance to glance at briefly. "Wait until I get behind you, lovers. You'll see how it feels."

"I know you like to get behind your men, Pulcher. How else would you get to such a powerful position," Xander said sarcastically as he made his horse take an exaggerated step forward right behind Pulcher, then pulled back to talk to Buffy.

"Why you motherfucker!" Pulcher said with malice in his voice. Some of his men stifled a laugh.

"Well, how are we going to do this?" Buffy asked nervously.

"If I get you into a jail cell again, Xander, I will make sure every man I can find has a chance to get behind you, you fuck!" Pulcher cried.

Xander and Buffy looked at him with stupid smirks. "I bet you can find a lot of men," Buffy added.

"I bet you could too, whore!" Pulcher retaliated.

Xander frowned. "You obviously hadn't had much luck with the ladies. You must really buy women to get laid to call every woman you see a whore, don't you?"

Arpineius glanced at Pulcher, smiling. "He has a point."

"Lay out of it, Arpineius!" Pulcher groaned loudly as he sank back onto his horse. He knew Xander was right.

"You fools," Trebonius said gloomily to Xander and Buffy. "You want to get them angry right before we butcher them?!" He spoke just loud enough to be a whisper so none of the Praetorian Guards could hear him. "Get your swords ready." And so Buffy and Xander did, but aside from them and Trebonius, no one in the front was preparing for the attack.

Xander tilted his head in Trebonius' direction. "Tell Manlius and Durus to get ready."

Without a second's waste, Trebonius rode back towards the front.

Pulcher looked closely at the mess around him as Trebonius headed to the front once more. "Men, I got a feeling something awful is about to happen. Get your swords ready," he whispered as he touched his sword that was wrapped around in a cloth on his horse.

When Trebonius got done warning Manlius and Durus to be ready, he went to the back of the caravan next to Buffy and Xander. "Give them a few moments, they say," Trebonius said to them quickly, ready to pounce on the Praetorian Guards at any minute.

"There's the cave." Xander said as they went out of the river and turned the corners with their horses. Neither of them could see the cave until they had passed the river and made a sharp turn left. Xander glanced at two Praetorian Guards directly in front of him and Pulcher who was slightly ahead of the first. "You take care of those two. I want Pulcher," he told them, and turned to go out of the back and move to where he could be a few feet away from Pulcher.

"Well, I guess this is it," Buffy moaned as she aligned her horse next to Trebonius'. "No one last kiss." She looked down and saw a log nearby. Quickly, she reacted by lifting her horse's stomach slightly to boost them over the log with one step.

"Be careful, Trebonius. That log looks like a tripper," Buffy added. She smiled, and gave Trebonius' horse a small lift with her left hand.

"Buffy," Trebonius gulped and licked his lips.

She turned her emerald green eyes on Trebonius. "Yes?"

"Just in case I die… could I get one real quick?" Trebonius said nervously with a grin twisted with a look of embarrassment.

Buffy blushed and dropped her left hand from his horse, her boyfriend and others who heard could only look in bewilderment. "You want me to kiss you?"

A cold voice laughed at the recent development he was hearing. "Heheheheh, I knew there were some who shared my opinion," Pulcher said.

The temperature in the group dropped rapidly as Xander turned his eyes on the murderer of Cato's wife, daughter, and his best friend, Cimberius. He knew exactly what Pulcher's opinion of Buffy was and didn't appreciate the insult. "She wouldn't fuck you if you paid her your whole fortune."

Pulcher glared back at Xander. "I will kill you, Xander."

Trebonius hesitated, admist all of the commotion. He glanced at Buffy. "Sorry, it's okay if you don't."

Xander had to smile. "Why you want to kiss my girl that much, Trebonius?" Xander asked with a small smirk.

It was the first time that someone other than Xander had showed her true kindness without some ulterior motive such as sex. It felt surprisingly nice for the slayer.

"Well it depends on Xander," she said, smiling at him as her wet, golden blonde hair blew in the wind.

"Uh, Buffy," Xander said quietly as he crossed his arms over his chest and grinned at Trebonius. "It's your choice. I'm out of it." To him, there was no doubt that all of them, himself included, would come out of their planned butchery of the Praetorian Guards without a scratch. But he knew that with Pulcher, there was a possibility something could go awry. He could see that Buffy did not take her eyes off of him and was waiting urgently for a response. Xander noticed that Buffy was not feeling uncomfortable about his request as nine times out of ten she would and he knew from what he gathered, Trebonius was a good guy. Without hesitation, he nodded with a smile at Buffy as her cue.

The awkward silence was nerve wracking, and Trebonius, who had earlier argued that Buffy and Xander be serious before commencing with the planned slaughter, was beginning to feel like he had made a mistake.

Turning her head from Xander's direction, she gazed at him. "Okay, he's letting do one. You ready?"

Trebonius observed her perfectly formed lips and replied, "Er… yes?"

Buffy frowned at him. "You've done this before, haven't you?"

A loud voice resounded in the middle of the giant circle. "Someone kill me, please!" Pulcher yelled sarcastically.

Xander couldn't help smiling, realizing the irony of Pulcher's sarcasm.

"Well there was one time. A local girl, her name was-" She leaned up and kissed Trebonius gently. "… Buffy…"

Trebonius returned the kiss just as softly and smiled.

The kiss was fast, but had a sense of patience behind them. They broke the kiss, with Trebonius leaning his head forward, hoping to taste her a little bit more. Gazing at her confused emerald orbs, he smiled happily. Almost automatically, he spoke, "Thanks."

Buffy gave Trebonius a small chuckle as she pouted. "Now I want Xander to kiss me."

Xander was so intently staring at Pulcher, contemplating how he'd kill him that when he heard his name, he turned his head and gazed at Buffy questioningly.

Buffy gestured with her hands for Xander to come over.

"I'm sorry, Buffy," he apologized earnestly. He made a double look at Pulcher as if telling her that business had to come first, then pleasure.

Buffy was taken aback with shock before a grin came on her face. "Fine. I'll just do some more with Trebonius." He tugged at Trebonius' shirt before Xander interrupted.

"Buffy! That's enough!" he said. A tinge of jealously was evident in his voice.

Buffy laughed, realizing her attempts at making Xander jealous had worked.

Looking down at the wet ground, then up to the sky as the chilling rain fell down upon his body he smiled, in spite of everything. 'Now's not the time to be jealous.' He looked down and narrowed his eyes at the seven Praetorian Guards riding on their horses. He wanted revenge. He wanted all of them to die.

The cave was only a few minutes away, but it had taken Duratius longer to get there because of the weather. Evidently, the rain and thunderstorms were going to be a factor to their plan.

As they rode closer towards the cave, he watched Trebonius with a pleased look on his face. Then he saw Buffy sitting on her horse, laughing with Trebonius beside her. He noticed Manlius and Durus laughing about something as well in front of him. He was becoming quickly frustrated with the relaxed demeanor of everyone. They needed to be ready, Xander felt.

"Manlius! Durus! Be ready!" Xander shouted as quietly as he possibly could under the current circumstances.

Manlius and Durus gulped loudly.

Soon, Duratius, Manlius, Durus, Buffy, and Trebonius positioned themselves for an attack as they all became more serious. After they had taken their positions, they had begun to appear nervous and beats of sweat could be seen trickling down their faces. Xander could see that he had given them confidence that all would go according to plan, albeit with some arrogance on his part, based on their determination. However, like their current state of nervousness, he was not going to take for granted the possibility of something going wrong. Some of his men could die. All of his men could die. Buffy could die. He could die.

Xander's horse snorted as the rain began to fall heavily. It was wet rain, feeling like hail because of how much weight it carried. Xander leant forward and patted his horse's neck encouragingly.

He pulled his black cloak about himself as the freezing rain and wind shivered through his body. He looked up at the darkening sky. Far out to the east the sky was still blue as the day lingered over there, but the moving dark clouds had chased the clear blue from the rest of the sky. Not only were there just clouds, but Xander could see the continuing pulsations from bolts of lightning piercing a hole through them.

On both sides of the road, there seemed to be what appeared to be endless grasslands going out in both directions. The cave was the one oddity in the landscape. A Stonehenge in the English countryside, Xander thought to himself.

Suddenly, an image of Illeana immediately popped into Xander's mind. "Kill them! Kill them all!" Illeana screamed in his face.

Xander shook his head slowly, as though trying to deny the existence of such a nightmare had happened.

He recalled that nightmare he had and how much an effect it had on him. He had other hallucinations and dreams of Illeana and of her mother, Acacia, but none more desperate and haunting. It was almost as if it was not a nightmare at all. It was a demand from beyond the grave.

Xander cursed under his breath. He was having second thoughts about whether he should go along with the plan. He had known that he had dwelt too long of Illeana's rape and death by Antistius, as well as Cimberius' and Pulcher's murder of Acacia. But his duty to Acacia and Illeana to avenge their deaths was too important to let it slide. There had been too many wrongdoings by the Praetorian Guard to be forgiven. Not too long ago he had been poisoned by a leading member of the Praetorian Guard, Antistius. The same man that had raped and killed Illeana. By whose orders? Xander didn't have to piece together the pieces of the puzzle to lead to the one man responsible for all the pain he had suffered. Pulcher.

Xander frowned, and with another glance at Pulcher, he fell back to Buffy and Trebonius at the rear. "This is not going to be as easy as I had expected," Xander confessed when they were far enough away that the leader of the Praetorian Guard would not overhear.

"What do you mean?" Trebonius asked.

Xander looked at the two of them. "Neither one of you feel strange hacking these men to death in cold blood," his eyes grew cooler. "I have no issue with Pulcher but the others, I am having doubts."

"They are scum just like him," Trebonius said. "They all deserve to die."

"But what if one does plead for his life," Xander said, clearly disturbed he might have to kill a man begging for them to spare him. He thought about Antistius' lover and how he had killed her in cold blood when she had suffered a mortal wound to her chest. He had stabbed her at first in self-defense but as she lay dying, he chose to stab her through the chest one more time to ease the pain she must have felt. It was a cruel decision in retrospect, he reasoned, since she had felt relief that he had taken the sword out of her chest, feeling as if he was trying to help her. In a second right before she died, she must have been shocked to have that sword with her blood on it; rammed right back into her chest after it had been removed. He could have let her live a few more moments and deal with her dying. He could have also gave her a few encouraging words. Instead he chose to kill her quickly. As he would often say to Buffy and Willow when he was younger, this probably represented his preferred 'no muss, no fuss' approach to challenging circumstances.

Trebonius flashed Xander a wicked grin. "Then decapitate the son of a bitch," he said with more venom this time. Once he had realized Xander was taken aback by his hatred, he tried to defend himself, "I liked Pertinax. Hell, I even liked Julianus. They killed both of them as if they were wild animals. They deserve the same fate."

"I guess you have a point," Xander answered. "It's just that when Cimberius made that list, he could have implicated one good guy."

"I know," Trebonius replied. "It puts you in a really awkward moral position. I don't know about you… but if I had an opportunity to kill six really despicable human beings but had to kill one good guy to do it… I'd do it."

They went on in silence, glancing at each other in nervousness.

"Um…" Buffy began. "I'll go first and kill the two men next to Pulcher. Wait until after I strike so you can get involved and kill Pulcher when he's caught off guard, okay?" her voice shook and she tried to steady it. She didn't want Xander or Trebonius for that matter feeling uneasy that she was nervous about what she was going to do. She had killed hundreds of vampires, many of them with swords, but these were living, breathing people she was about to kill. It was very different. Unlike Xander, she was not driven by revenge of Acacia and Illeana's deaths to kill these men, but of the way they had treated her when they took her prisoner when Xander met Pulcher for the first time. She had never been so humiliated and mistreated in her life when the Praetorian Guards took advantage of her that one day. She had not been raped but had been ruthlessly sexually harassed that many could count it as rape. Though only one or two faces looked familiar to her of the seven on Cimberius' list when she was being harassed, she had little trouble associating all of the men with the deed.

"Okay," Xander said. His lips were quivering, and then all of a sudden Buffy was launching herself at him.

"Oh Xander, be careful!" She kissed his lips so quickly he wasn't sure if it had actually happened or not and he pulled away, blushing. "Please make it out okay."

Xander was hoping for the very thing for Buffy herself. "Just… wait here with Trebonius until you see Duratius come to a halt. And then go kill the men next to Pulcher and I'll get in." Buffy nodded solemnly and Xander boldly rode his horse towards the front, where Pulcher was riding. Swallowing hard, he approached the cave cautiously.

"Okay," he told himself. "Just make sure Pulcher is looking towards the men next to him, and strike him with my sword as fast as I can." His thin legs hung loosely from his horse and he knew that if he had not been on a horse, he would have collapsed to the ground because of his trembling knees.

Xander watched the Praetorian Guards align and ready themselves for the supposed meeting with the Emperor. Xander thought it was unfortunate. Their preparation for greeting the Emperor gave them somewhat of a preparation for an attack. Either way, Xander saw this as the best opportunity to get revenge with the Praetorian Guard.

Pulcher looked over to the cave, where Duratius was leading them. There was no people standing around in the cave and they were just twenty yards away. He glanced over at Arpineius, who was straightening his armor nervously.

"This is a trap," Pulcher warned. "I knew it. Fuck this, we strike first."

"When should we do it?" Considius asked. "When?"

"You men have served me loyally to some degree… Even though you betrayed me." Pulcher said sternly before his expression softened. He placed a hand on Arpineius' shoulder, looking at him kindly. "You were just following orders. I forgive you…" He said to Arpineius. Then he glanced at Considius and said softly, "And you too, Considius…"

"You are right, Pulcher. We were following orders from Caesar. We are a team. A team that should do what's best for its leader, and not for everyone else." Considius said as he reached under the cloth and gently tugged on his sword from underneath it. "Now come on, let's attack these bastards."

"You're behaving as if this is our last meeting aren't you?" Arpineius asked with a smirk as he began to relax. He understood, now, what they were saying, and knew they were right. He was following orders from the Emperor Julianus when Caesar told him to kill Pulcher. Though at the time he had a hatred for Pulcher, over time it had subsided to such a degree he had begun to like the husky brute. Pulcher had been cruel but he was just trying to do what was best for his men.

"Well, we do have five armed men and a whore to kill. Nothing is guaranteed of our safety," Pulcher said with an impish grin as he tugged at his sword underneath the cloth. "We have one last dance to go."

"It's been a long journey, but we've made it through together," Arpineius said, glancing at his best friend lovingly, Considius, as he finished. "Thanks."

"Hey man, what are friends for?" Considius asked as he and Arpineius clasped hands.

"There's nothing like a group of friends who love each other, eh?" Pulcher asked as he rubbed Arpineius' back. "Now let's get ready to go do this. When I whistle, we slice these fools like bread and butter."

Pulcher's command was directed at Arpineius and Considius but was indirectly supposed to also reach the other four Praetorian Guardsmen. It did. A comfortable silence came over them as they rode their horses down the road side by side. They had already been through so much and yet they felt they had so much ahead of them.

"Caesar is awaiting! Get ready!" Duratius cried, as the caravan drew nearer to the cave surrounded by grasslands. Nearby trees rustled and shook violently in the wind as the heavy rain and thunder continued to rage throughout the already blackened landscape, unbearable chills radiating throughout the group.

As the Praetorian Guards approached, their faces contorted into sadistic grins with the promise of bloodshed and knowledge they would accomplish what they were paid to do alongside protection- kill. Seven Praetorian Guardsmen fingered their swords hidden in the cloths, steadying trembling hands and feeling down the sword to find its grip. The Praetorian Guards continued onward, walking with deliberate slowness, a sinister energy radiating off of them as the rain did from the sky, piercing armor and body alike, leaving them all cold. All attention was focused on the five men and one woman who were surrounding them.

Xander was doing double takes, mumbling in surprise. The Praetorian Guards was obviously aware something was wrong. But what were they doing? Even the four men and Buffy were perplexed by their behavior.

Xander looked around curiously, wondering what he was going to do about this new development. Now they were at a real disadvantage, because the element of surprise was no longer there. Plus the distance for a sword strike and their separation between the guards just seemed to get a bit farther, and a lot more significant.

He then looked over at Buffy and reached to unsheathe his sword.

Buffy observed his behavior to mean that they were seconds away from attack. She unsheathed her sword carefully and stealthily.

Duratius, hearing the sound of swords being unsheathed, looked back at Xander and nodded at his preparation. He was ready.

As they approached a section of the road that narrowed into the cave, Xander felt himself tense on his horse.

Suddenly, Duratius reined his horse to a halt, looked behind him and nodded at the men and Buffy behind him.

Pulcher slipped to the back of the encircled Praetorian Guards and gave the signal whistle so his men could attack.

Duratius quickly pulled his sword over his head with his right arm and with his left, reached his reins to pull into a better position for a death blow. He kicked his horse forward and to the front of the encircled Praetorian Guards.

For a split second, the Praetorian Guards and the five men and Buffy sat on their horses, staring at each other. Crackling thunder ensued, and the heavy built Duratius flew straight towards them like a wild animal. The Praetorian Guardsmen yelled out and pulled their swords out from their cloths. A flash of bright lightning gave them light in the background, and the man Duratius was about to kill whipped out his sword just in time. Another guardsman next to the man, who had his sword ready, pulled his out in time as well.

Duratius' sword met two of the guardsmen at the same time, letting some sparks fly. Just as the guardsmen were about to overpower Duratius, Manlius' swinging foot was flung into one of their faces, causing one to fall off of his horse to the ground.

Xander, along with everyone else other than the Praetorian Guards, were taken aback by the Praetorian Guards' bold moves, which gave them an opportunity to slash at their flesh.

Buffy quickly clutched her sword tightly and spun her horse so she could have a better angle at attacking the Praetorian Guardsmen.

At just the right moment, Arpineius noticed movements of an oncoming attacker from behind.

Buffy sighed deeply and swung her sword, but her aim was wild and Arpineius ducked the blow. Buffy staggered on her horse as the force of her swing carried her sideways, and Arpineius was instantly on the ground, balancing on his own two feet. He threw himself an elbow-first into Trebonius' side, and Trebonius grunted and went down to the ground. Then he threw an elbow into Buffy, but she didn't budge.

Xander tensed, realizing Buffy had given him his cue, and he skipped forward a bit before fully charging the enraged, male leader of the Praetorian Guard.

Pulcher, his vision compromised due to the rain, looked to his left and saw Xander charging him with his sword. Pulcher realized his hands were on the opposite side of his sword's grip and he didn't have enough time to grasp the grip and defend himself. He grabbed the sharp edge of his sword high into the air with his left hand, then smirked and waited for him to approach.

"Bastard!" Xander cried as he cocked his sword back, ready for a full swing.

As Xander came towards him, Pulcher gritted his teeth. He saw Xander leap his horse forward, his right arm outspread, ready to swing his sword onto him. Pulcher quickly moved to Xander's left side, away from Xander's sword's side.

Pulcher used his left hand to swing the butt of his sword down onto the front of Xander's head.

Xander let out a yell of pain and fell back off his horse, his head reeling in pain.

Pulcher frowned angrily at Xander and hopped off of his horse.

Considius dropped to his feet and thrust out his sword. "Let's finish them, Arpineius!" Considius cried.

Trebonius' chin was bleeding and his heart had climbed into his throat as he frantically tried to crawl to his feet. Already the two men were coming towards him, lurching slightly but determined to kill. And Buffy, who had received a stiff elbow from Arpineius, was clutching her stomach and slowly pushing herself away from her horse and onto the ground.

Abruptly, Arpineius and Considius brought their swords in the air in one coordinated movement. Trebonius reached for his sword where it lay and grasped the sword before the two guardsmen could swing their swords. Arpineius yelped and Considius screamed and Trebonius brought his sword arcing down to the shoulders of Arpineius.

And even as the two guardsmen fell back, Trebonius rushed towards them. He leapt into the air, striking out with his sword as he gained his feet. Arpineius shrieked and fell, clutching his shoulder, the other, Considius backed a few paces, stepping warily.

Considius stood as if utterly dumbstruck; he did not seem to notice when Buffy reached out and clearly showed her sword from her hands.

Quickly, he regained his sense and Considius struck first, lashing out with one whimpering blade. Buffy stepped aside and dodged the flickering thrust almost casually, rotating her body and lifting one arm high as Considius staggered past her. With a gurgling scream, Considius dropped his sword and clutched at his neck. Arpineius could see blood gushing from between Considius' fingers.

"Oh god!" Arpineius gasped in horror.

The third guardsman dropped to the ground from his horse and lunged forward, yelling and swinging his sword. Duratius, Manlius, and Durus were already standing firmly on the ground. Duratius deflected the guardsman's swing with a heavy clasp of his blade. Duratius forced the guardsman back and approached with a swing of his own. The guardsman ducked the sword and lunged forward, also getting deflected by Durus' sword. Suddenly, Duratius took advantage of the position and sliced the man's armor with his sword, incapacitating him enough for Durus to slice off the man's arm.

The guardsman cried out in pain and stumbled back, clutching his shoulder where his arm had been severed. Before the guardsman had any time to wince, Duratius swung his sword full force at the man's neck with the sharp point of his sword, causing the man's head to be dislodged from his body. His head flew across the air and hit the ground with a decisive thud.

By this time, the other two guardsmen, one on the ground from the blow from Manlius, and another who had dismounted his horse moments before were now running full force at the men. They both swung simultaneously at Duratius' neck. Duratius casually ducked, sprung his arms out at his side, and caught the two by their stomachs. With a loud grunt, Duratius threw them face first, causing them to fly behind him in the air and crash down with a thud onto the rough surface of the cave.

Momentarily dazed on the wet grass, the pain had actually snapped Xander out of shock. Quickly, he scrambled to pick up his fallen sword. He found it and grasped the grip quickly.

Pulcher smirked at Xander just as he brought his own sword down in an arc.

The two swords clashed, then Xander's sword flew out of his hands due to the strength of the swing. Xander looked at Pulcher is disbelief then forward-rolled out of the way as Pulcher thrust his sword towards his neck.

The rumbling of the thunder had ceased momentarily, and so had the yells of shock, but Xander knew it was far from over. Xander grabbed the butt of his sword from the ground and swung its blade at Pulcher's neck, who ducked. Pulcher grinned in triumph by his move, but when Xander glared at him, his eyes brown-black, Pulcher's triumph turned to concern.

Pulcher thrust his sword towards Xander's gut, making Xander jump backwards to the ground with a shriek. Pulcher charged forward, his sword raised and shining from the lightning with malicious intent. Xander knew he had no offensive move, so he rolled to his side as fast as his body could carry him. Rapid sword thrusts into the wet ground whizzed by his chin and shoulders, but he knew better than to look back.

Pulcher ceased his sword jabs when he caught glance of Xander getting to his feet. He was within striking distance of a quick blow from Xander. Pulcher backed away from his enemy.

"I'm impressed, boy," Pulcher growled, a sense of excitement creeping into his voice.

"Pulcher, you're going to pay," Xander replied bitterly, his head tilting in a slanted direction. "You're a cold-blooded murderer."

"Makes two of us!" Pulcher yelled.

Xander was shocked and cried out in horror as Pulcher swung his sword at him. The blade grazed his cheek, nothing more. Xander stepped further back, clutching the fresh, stinging wound on his cheek.

Instead of making another comment, Pulcher wheeled around Xander and leapt from the ground in an attack move.

Fortunately, Xander was quick enough to realize what Pulcher had done and caught Pulcher's sword with his own and he plummeted backwards onto the wet ground along with his sword.

Pain shot throughout his entire body. While other Praetorian Guardsmen and his friends were busy in sword battles, Xander was dragging himself as far away from Pulcher as he could, who was leisurely walking across the ground, practicing swinging and hacking his sword through the air.

Arpineius was left, and the fall of his best friend made him wary. For the moment he was keeping his distance.

Not taking her eyes from her opponent, Buffy reached back with her free hand and gently pushed Trebonius away, taking care not to cut him with her sword. Trebonius stumbled backwards a few feet and maintained his balance.

Arpineius seemed to be waiting for Buffy to make the first move, but Buffy only stood ready after she had moved Trebonius out of harm's way. When he realized Buffy was not going to come to him, Arpineius' face twisted in anger.

"You killed my best friend," he said with a roar.

"I know who you are," Buffy said, her voice wavering with emotion. "You were one of the men who caused Acacia and Illeana's deaths."

Arpineius frowned at Buffy confusedly. "Who?"

Buffy jolted, averting her gaze at another guardsman approaching her on horseback. Buffy could see that the guardsman was the last man to be on horse. He was riding his horse at full speed towards her as if he was going to trample her.

"You're one crazy bitch!" Arpineius cried and lunged.

Buffy pivoted on one foot, deflecting Arpineius' sword while letting Arpineius' momentum carry him forward. Buffy's right hand flew up in the air, preparing to strike with her sword while Arpineius was reeling, but Arpineius regained his footing and raised his sword in time to meet her sword. Buffy did better on her second attempt at a jab, and forced Arpineius directly into the line of the guardsman's horse.

The guardsman turned his horse to evade Arpineius so violently that he was thrown off his horse and hit the ground stiffly, knocking his head as he fell.

It did not take long for Arpineius to judge Buffy was the better of the two warriors. He was throwing his all into the battle, but with Buffy remained an element of fluidity in each thrust and swing. His motions were not so refined, resulting in wasted energy.

Before logic could tell him to remain back, Trebonius hurtled himself out from the distance and with adrenaline pushing his feet to lightning quick speed, he ran over to the fallen Praetorian Guard soldier. Quickly Trebonius stabbed the man through the stomach, causing him to spew out blood from his mouth. He drew the sword out and decapitated the soldier with one more swing. His headless enemy had a spasm and then was dead.

Glancing around, Trebonius awaited the next attack. He saw Buffy and Arpineius in the midst of a one on one battle. If he got involved, it could be risky and result in death. Nervous about getting into the fray, Trebonius watched patiently from a distance.

Arpineius snarled and grimaced, conveying his pure hatred for Buffy. "How'd you know how to battle like this? Did you train?"

"I guess you can say that," Buffy said, plainly returning the hatred he had given her.

Arpineius abruptly became frustrated with his inability to reach Buffy and he threw himself forward, blade-first. It was a tactic Buffy had seen hundreds of times before; vampires sometimes launched an assault in the hopes of crushing their victims under the sheer speed and force of their attack. Buffy swiftly moved backwards, deflecting the slashes with her sword. Thwarted, Arpineius lashed out with his sword only to find that Buffy had stepped out of the way again, and just like that Arpineius found himself on the defensive. Buffy strode forward purposefully, her face utterly with contempt. Now Arpineius was the one who was backing up, and it was the only thing to keep his foe away from him.

Trebonius swore under his breath as Arpineius backed towards him. Trebonius hesitated, taking a deep breath and letting it out quickly.

Buffy watched him as Trebonius stalled, finding it both curious and amusing. She grinned a little, but then frowned, realizing he was in danger. He needed to get out of the guardsman's way.

As Arpineius continued to fall back, he heard the rustle of leaves, and felt the warmth of someone standing behind her. He ducked instinctively, kneeling himself to the ground.

Trebonius felt a whiff of air after he missed his target.

Arpineius clutched his bloodied shoulder as he got to his feet and turned to see the man who nearly decapitated him.

They stared at each other for a moment. Then Arpineius let out all the energy he had gathered and unleashed a barrage of sword swings. Trebonius felt the impact, but deflected each blow and started running away from Arpineius, causing Arpineius to charge after him as well. When they reached each other they both swung their weapons at each other catching each other's weapon in their own.

Both Trebonius and Arpineius fiercely swung at each other with Arpineius occasionally slicing Trebonius in the arm and stomach area. Trebonius however did not weaken his fierce response and offensive swings. Trebonius' strength was beginning to fail him, but it seemed Arpineius had plenty of energy left.

Trebonius' futile attempts to strike Arpineius with his sword were beginning to get sloppy and he was missing more often because he was weakening.

A grin spread across Arpineius' face when he realized this.

With her blade stained crimson with Considius' blood, Buffy chased after Trebonius and Arpineius, spying them just ahead of a small mound. She saw Arpineius veer to the side and slash downwards with his blade, then turned back towards Buffy, giving her a grim look.

Buffy hurried on, until she neared the place where Trebonius had been stabbed.

Laying there, a deep gash across his chest, was Trebonius. Buffy noticed that Arpineius looked disinterested in her or with continuing his battle with her and had already raced in an opposite direction towards the guardsman's throat she had cut.

Buffy immediately dropped her sword as she approached Trebonius and dropped to her knees by his side.

Trebonius coughed, a thin line of blood seeping from his mouth. "I…I… got to kill one."

Buffy just stared at him. "You should have left."

Trebonius merely shook his head and coughed again.

Buffy helped him into a sitting position. "How is the wound?"

"Mortal. I'm a dead man. I'm losing too much blood…" Trebonius wheezed. Through his laborious coughing, he could see Xander on the ground from a distance.

Buffy examined the slash across his chest. She had seen many wounds of civilians in Sunnydale and this one was survivable, she reasoned. "You can make it," Buffy smiled weakly. "Just wait here. I'll get that son of a bitch."

Buffy was about to go after Arpineius but Trebonius caught her arm.

"Go help Xander. He could be killed…" Trebonius warned.

Buffy nodded and turned away, then whirled to face Trebonius. "Just play dead if a Praetorian guardsman comes by."

Grimacing, Trebonius nodded, clearly in pain.

"I'll be back." Buffy sprinted off, leaving Trebonius where he laid, keeping an eye out around her for any sign of the guardsmen. The cave and the grasslands surrounding it were eerily quiet. It was as though everyone had left. But there were still men brawling with swords.

Arpineius dropped on his knees beside his best friend's bloodied body. Bright red blood gushed from his throat.

Considius sighed. He felt someone knelt beside him and, opening his eyes saw sorrow and love etched on Arpineius' face. Words spilled from his mouth, barely discernable.

"I love you, brother…" Considius whispered. He coughed and blood spurt from his mouth. "You killed her, right?"

Arpineius sighed. He knew Buffy was stronger than him. He also knew he probably would not kill her. But how would Considius know? Death was inevitable and seconds away. He figured he might as well tell him that he had. "Yes," he whispered, his voice tight with grief.

Considius smiled. "Good."

"Is there anything you need to tell me?" Arpineius asked desperately.

Considius narrowed his eyes at Arpineius and then spoke, "I got my fucking throat slit and you want me to… say something," he panted.

"Well… I wanted to say that I love you too," Arpineius said, weeping all the while.

"I guess… we had this… coming," Considius huffed with his last breath. "Just finish the rest of them."

Considius sighed and his eyes fluttered closed.

Arpineius realized now that his best friend was dead. Considius had been a fine warrior, a great Roman, and one of the few decent men he had encountered. He was also funny. He had done the Praetorian Guard's dirty work just like him and they had managed to be deal with the harsh circumstances with Pulcher simply because they had each other. Without Considius, Arpineius would have been compelled to kill Pulcher a while ago and he would have been imprisoned and even executed.

Arpineius stroked Considius' cheek and whispered, "Goodbye my friend."

There were five men, two Praetorian Guardsmen and three of Xander's group, continuing their battle. Swords had clashed for over two minutes. During that time, both guardsmen had tired quickly, but the change in pace was mainly noticeable from a guardsman who was already suffering from a gash on his chest from being thrown on the cave floor by Duratius.

That wounded guardsman's sword whistled through the space that Duratius' head had recently been. It was close enough for Duratius to feel the passage of it inches next to his hastily retracted head. So powerfully had the guardsman swung his sword that he was slightly off balance on the weapons follow through.

This was all the opening Duratius needed. Leaping forward Duratius drove his sword in one fluid movement through the unfortunate guardsman's neck, killing him instantly. Wrenching his sword free in one quick thrust out of the neck he spun to face the last guardsman who had backed away nervously.

Now facing only one guardsman Duratius, Manlius, and Durus knew that the battle was essentially over.

But the last guardsman attacked in a fury, swinging his huge sword as if it were a brush of leaves. All three deflected his attacks, which started to weaken as exhaustion set in for the man.

Duratius took initiative from the reluctant Durus and Manlius and attacked the guardsman in a flurry of assaults. The guardsman was covered by half a dozen cuts before he even knew that Duratius had attacked.

"We'll let you go if you surrender, my brother," Duratius said, appreciating the man's brave last stand.

"True Romans do not surrender," the guardsman growled as he attacked anew with a wicked overhead chop that would have split Duratius in two if it connected.

Crossing his sword Duratius caught the blow, and turned it away harmlessly, whilst kicking the guardsman in the chest which caused him to stumble back several feet.

"True Romans do not kill women and children!" Duratius retorted to the guardsman, acknowledging to the guardsman the reason why they were attacked.

"I've killed over ten children," the guardsman replied with a pant. "It's our job to follow orders. I was just doing my job."

This was news for Duratius and wasn't good by the sounds of it. Attacking with dizzying speed, he forced the guardsman's sword out to its right, then in a savage fury he chopped it down, cutting off both of the guardsman's hands which gripped the butt of his huge sword.

Crying in pain and shock, the guardsman dropped to the wet ground.

Anger and fear was evident in his eyes as the guardsman looked at Duratius, and fear prevailed.

"How can you do such a thing?" Duratius pressed.

"If you know Pulcher, you would understand," the guardsman said tiredly. Woozy from blood loss from the severing of his two hands and knowing he was going to die he girded himself for one final attack and tried to bite off Duratius' face.

Ready for such a move, Duratius slid his ready sword straight through the guardsman's lower jaw and into his skull, killing the guardsman instantly.

Both Manlius and Durus looked at each other and smiled. This was easier than they had imagined. They grasped their horses nearby and was ready to mount them. All they had to do was now see if the rest of their group made it out okay.

Duratius left his sword inside the fallen guardsman's jaw and took the guardsman's heavy sword. He studied the sword intently. Suddenly something moving caught his eye; a man chasing from behind Manlius and Durus. "Men! Watch out!" Duratius yelled as he pointed to the guardsman coming towards them.

Duratius started running towards the guardsman, but he was too far away to get to him.

Without further warning and before Manlius and Durus could turn, Arpineius stabbed Manlius in the chest and his sword stuck out of his stomach. It was then that Manlius' face tightened and Arpineius quickly shoved his lifeless body, along with the sword that impaled him, onto the ground.

Durus, who had been standing next to his friend, stood in shock as he watched his friend shake violently on the ground. His hands were trembling as he tried to maintain his grip on his sword.

Arpineius turned his head towards Durus and growled. In one quick movement he jumped on top of Durus and grabbed his throat with his hands.

"Bastards!" Arpineius yelled, spit flying onto Durus' face. He was about to suffocate Durus, when he noticed a man charging him with a sword. He was so shocked by the size of the man that he released his grip from Durus' neck and stumbled backwards. He looked to his left to see the man pull his sword back to deliver a death blow. He could feel his shoulder bleeding, as blood began to trickle down onto his arm. Arpineius knew what he was planning on doing would cause him tremendous pain to his shoulder but he had to do it.

Just as Duratius was about to strike his foe, Arpineius jumped towards Duratius and tackled him just as he was about to strike him with his sword. The sword Duratius was carrying flew out of hands and fell to the ground. Arpineius and Duratius both yelled as they hit the ground.

Durus jumped to his feet and stared at the two men, who were brawling on the ground. Durus quickly grabbed his sword from the ground that had fell and aimed it at Arpineius. But both men were rolling in the ground and if he struck his sword he knew he might hit Duratius.

A loud tearing and cracking noise thundered throughout the air and the ground began to shake wildly. Xander got to his knees to keep himself from being disoriented on the ground and becoming vulnerable. It was then he heard Manlius' scream and yells of terror. Xander jerked his head to the source and stared at Manlius, who was on the ground bleeding with a sword sticking out from his chest.

"What?" Pulcher spat. "Shocked you lost one of your own men?"

Xander glared at Pulcher who was approaching him menacingly.

"Please tell me you honestly didn't feel it would be easy getting rid of us," Pulcher said harshly. "…getting rid of me."

Xander skipped back while on the ground into the cave entrance, sheltered from the rain and eventually leaned on his knees for support. He could see Pulcher was so hungry for violence he could have killed him and dismembered him into pieces before he would have lost his appetite. Even then, Xander imagined Pulcher would want bloodshed.

Xander was about to get to his feet when Pulcher picked him by his cloak and threw him further into the cave against its rough floor.

"I warned you Xander," Pulcher said grimly, grasping his cloak with his free hand. "I told you I would kill you."

"I hope you get what's coming to you!" Xander screamed, not even bothering to mount any effort to engage in combat with Pulcher.

Pulcher looked mad, and punched Xander in the face. "You are resigned to dying, aren't you? I've killed many more who put up a better fight than you! Hell even that mother I killed was less pitiful than you are!" Pulcher sneered and perked up suddenly, "Please spare me," he said, mocking Acacia's last words.

Xander stared hatefully at Pulcher then at Pulcher's sword in one of his hands. "I wonder how many innocent victims you killed… how many families you've ruined… how many Emperors you've killed…"

Pulcher jabbed Xander in the face again, and Xander fell back. "I've killed enough," he said simply. "You know… after I butcher you I might take a little break from killing. It gets boring after a while."

Xander stood up angrily, wincing due to his bloody cheek. Not sure what to do, he suddenly lunged for Pulcher's sword, nearly grabbed it, and backed away before Pulcher could cut him down.

Pulcher looked at Xander confused, and cautiously sheathed his sword into its case at his hip. "You know… I'll give you a chance."

Xander grinned slightly, realizing that he seemingly had changed his odds. "All right."

Pulcher immediately looked sympathetic and sorry he was about to kill him defenseless. "I would feel too guilty," he said gloomily. "After all this time I wanted to kill you. And I would kill you like a dog."

They started pacing around each other, trying to get into an advantageous position, then after a while staring at each other, Pulcher asked, "Why didn't you just let it go?"

Xander watched him for a minute then replied, "They need justice."

Pulcher sighed. "Terrible things happen. Not everyone will get an eye for an eye. You have to accept it." He started to make an approach at Xander, but noticed he was falling back deeper into the cave. "Come on. I gave you a better chance."

Suddenly they heard running footsteps from outside, and Pulcher whirled around just in time to see a blonde-haired woman with fire in her eyes run into him, knocking both himself and Xander deeper into the cave below.

When they all had rolled down a steep slope and hit the cave floor roughly, there was no logical order of brawling. It was a full out brawl with their bare hands. For this reason, they threw up a lot of dust and it was not easy to tell whom they were hitting. There would be a few seconds just long enough for the dust to settle for Buffy to see that she was banging Xander's head to the ground, or Pulcher putting a chokehold on Buffy. But for the most part, the three of them could only hear the sounds of punching and their bodies scraping the floor.

It went on for three minutes, until they all had beat each other to the point of exhaustion. When the dust settled, they were laying side by side on the floor, panting. For a long time they did nothing but pant.

Pulcher's emblem of power was torn and his armor was displaced, along with various cuts and bruises on his body. Buffy's hair was all over the place, and the armor that covered her breasts lay just barely underneath them, exposing them. Xander had a lot of bruises and scrapes on his forehead because his head had been banged on the cave floor. Judged by the hands who had done it, he knew it was Buffy. At length, Xander managed to roll over and look at Buffy.

"Nice one," Xander gasped. "You know… Pulcher's head is… twice as big… as mine."

"Sorry, Xander," Buffy said apologetically.

"Yeah, whatever," Xander said bitterly. "I'm seeing stars thanks to you."

Buffy nodded, and she got up and dragged Xander to his feet. Eventually they both looked down at Pulcher, who was sprawled out on the floor like a starfish. He seemed like he was out cold.

"Should we leave him here?" Buffy asked.

"No. We need to kill the son of a bitch," Xander snapped irritably.

There was a short silence, then a sigh. "Okay," Buffy grumbled. She was so fatigued due to the brawling on the cave floor that she just wanted to go back to the Palace and rest. But she was having issues just moving from where she was. "Let's go see if someone needs help."

Xander sighed and with some effort, he made it back to the top of the cave. Once on the top, Xander stepped over the edge of the steep slope and addressed Buffy, who was still watching Pulcher.

"Buffy, what are you waiting for?" Xander cut himself short as he got his first good look at Buffy. He noticed her exposed breasts and his eyes widened. "Wow, talk about a deer caught in the headlights."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at Xander, then looked down at what he was looking at. Her jaw dropped and she immediately covered her breasts with the broken armor. "Pervert," she hissed.

Pulcher lay on his back for a minute, then opened his eyes, got up and instinctively unsheathed his sword from its case. Stupid motherfuckers, he thought as he limped towards Buffy who had her back turned to him. Just as he reached Buffy, Xander's voice cried out.

"Buffy!"

Buffy's eyes slipped closed and then shot open again as she screamed out in pain, the stabbing in her chest almost overwhelming her. She clenched her hands up in fists and struggled against her attacker as the sword inside her pulled back.

It felt like the sword was coming out of her flesh.

Buffy's back arched as the pain in her chest increased and then she cried out as he pulled the sword back into her chest one more time. When he pulled it out once again, she cried out as she felt her heart hammering back into sympathetic mode.

She could feel her old senses coming back. Her slayer abilities coming back.

Breathing heavy, she kicked Pulcher back onto the cave floor. She dropped to her knees beside him as he lay on the floor, his eyes watching her intently and his breathing erratic.

Buffy shot a vile look at Pulcher as he got to his feet and moved out of the shadows, and climbed his way towards level ground.

Xander angrily raced down the steep slope at Pulcher while a small pool of blood emerged from Buffy's body.

Pulcher noticed Xander racing towards him and before Xander could get to him, he darted forward and clotheslined him with his right elbow, whilst holding his sword, knocking Xander to the ground with a backwards flip. Xander hit the ground first with his knees, then face. Pulcher lowered his sword and then sheathed it back into its case.

Somehow Xander gathered enough strength to get to his feet and he stood motionless, glaring at Pulcher. He suddenly felt a crash in his chest and was tackled to the ground. Pulcher had tackled him, sending him to the ground with a thump.

Pulcher slammed his cold hands around the neck of Xander. "I'm going to choke you to death while your lover watches!" he cried, spit spewing. "Then I'll rape her before she dies… What a fitting end to you lovers!"  
Xander curled his legs inward and pushed Pulcher off his chest with tremendous strength. Pulcher was sent back, crashing against the side of the slope. Xander jumped up and was ready to pounce on Pulcher. Before Xander could approach, Pulcher unsheathed his sword and shot his sword out with one thrust, striking Xander slightly through the chest. Having been hit for a second time with his sword, Xander fell to the ground in pain.

Pulcher walked up and bent down to Xander's body. He moved the sharp tip of his sword directly to Xander's face and whispered, "Fuck it. I'll just kill you this way." He glanced at Buffy for a brief moment. She was clutching her stomach and had a helpless look on her face. "Enjoy this, honey."

Pulcher lifted his sword for the final blow.

Xander tried to jump aside but had realized he had very little energy left to do so. This is it, he thought to himself.

Off in the distance, Pulcher could barely hear someone calling his name. Even though the person was too far even to make out whom they were or what they were calling for, he knew it was one of his men.

Soon the voice, a familiar voice was nearby enough for Pulcher to make out what he was saying. He seemed like he was in danger, looking for help, because he was calling out, "Pulcher! Pulcher! Help!"

Pulcher could hear the commotion of clashing swords and footsteps rushing across the wet grass outside of the cave. "Fuck!" Pulcher cried. He lowered his sword and called out, "Arpineius is that you?" He waited out a moment and spoke out louder a second time, "Arpineius?!"

"Yes! I'm outnumbered! I need help!" Arpineius yelled back from a distance.

It took Pulcher a couple of seconds to realize the response came from just outside of the cave. He jerked around to see if he could get a visual of the sword battle outside. Nothing. "Shit."

Buffy looked at Xander, who was just as stunned as she was.

Without warning, Pulcher stood up, turned around, and raced up the slope.

Xander watched Pulcher until he no longer was in sight. As soon as he was gone, Xander went over to Buffy, feeling more than relief that she and he were both alive. And after the initial wave of relief had worn off, Xander began to gravely become sad. He knew Buffy was dying.

Xander shook her lightly, hoping to rouse her and show her what had happened to her.

"Buffy?" He shook her again and then snatched her hand away as something came to him. She was cold.

Buffy rolled over slightly onto her front and coughed up blood, letting it trail from her mouth as she lay on the floor, too tired to move.

Her head span with the sensation of her heartbeat and the rush of her blood. Her stomach growled and her mouth felt as dry as the cave surrounding them. Letting her face feel the prickly edges of the cave floor, she clutched her stomach and tried to stem the contents of her blood from flowing out.

Xander pressed his fingers to the side of her neck and felt a pulse

"You can make it, Buffy. Just a flesh wound." Xander stroked her hair lightly and gave her a reassuring smile. Tears began to fill his eyes as he thought about everything she had been through in their time in Rome and everything she'd done for him. "I'm sorry Buffy. This is my fault."

Buffy swallowed noisily and then looked at Xander from squinted eyes. "Come on, Xander. No apologies."

Xander managed a smile.

He stared at the gaping wound in the lower abdomen of her chest.

"I'm going to die. He stabbed me. That man-"

"Pulcher." He finished her sentence for her and placed his hand flat against the bleeding wound as she tried to sit up.

Buffy smiled as she felt Xander's strong hands assisting her sit up, while also making sure she didn't lose too much blood.

Xander wanted to save her.

Xander started to say something as he felt Buffy's hand resting lightly on his and he looked down on it and then up at the slayer again.

"I want you to be strong." He felt Buffy's hand tense slightly against his and he turned his head so her eyes met his. "Be strong. You can make it. I will be back."

Buffy looked confused. Her head was beginning to ache from all the twists and turns the night had gave her and she just wanted things explained to her so she could understand.

She thought about what Xander had told her, about how he wanted her to be strong, about how he would be back, and her eyes widened.

"No!" She whispered loudly as she stared blankly into Xander's eyes.

Xander countered her with his own stubbornness. "I haven't got much time. I have to go. I will be back."

"Back?"

It was Xander's turn to be confused. He squeezed her hand. "I'll make it out okay. I promise. Once I come back, I'll get you help."

Buffy's eyes widened. "No!"

Xander shook his head as Buffy looked at him.

"I love you Buffy. Please be strong. Be strong!"

"Okay." Buffy said quietly as she finally came to terms with what he was about to do. Tears were flowing down her eyes. "Be careful. I love you too."

Xander smiled as he watched her come to terms with it. "Be strong," he said softly.

Buffy closed her eyes and smiled as she found her arms full of Xander. She squeezed him tightly and she felt relieved he didn't feel any different than before.

Releasing him from her arms, Buffy realized she may not get another chance to see him again.

Standing carefully, Xander took a deep breath and gave Buffy one final gaze into her eyes.

Buffy dropped her eyes to the floor and sighed. "Bye Xander." Buffy looked up to see that Xander was gone. "I love you."

Whirling his sword round as fast as a windmill could blow, Duratius came at it again with Arpineius. His foe took defense, deflecting his severe-striking blows and evading swipes that swung near his waist. Quickly Durus stepped into the fray and Arpineius was forced to back up, eventually bringing him towards the road where the ambush had started. As Durus and Duratius followed and saw Arpineius falling back, they were predicting a bitter end for him soon.

Arpineius was resolved however not to meet his fate that quickly. When he saw the correct moment to take the offensive, he swiped his sword at Duratius' face. Duratius crossed his sword and succeeded in protecting himself.

Arpineius withdrew his attack and jumped over Duratius as he was about to slash at him again, making him nearer to the cave where he expected Pulcher to come to his rescue. Realizing he needed Pulcher to catch them by surprise, he turned around in a complete circle so they would face him and not the cave.

As he turned in a circle he swung his body and kicked Durus' sword from his hands. Durus' sword took a flight in the night air, clattering into the wet muddy road. Duratius, still armed with his sword, resumed the battle with little regard for what had just transpired.

Duratius pounded Arpineius with his single sword impulsively. Arpineius, having been in worse situations than these, kept calm and handled Duratius with patience and great care. Through his observations on his attack movements, he discovered a vulnerability in Duratius; his knees. He did not bend his knees too much and when he did, he was usually doing it as a defensive posture.

When a chance came for Arpineius to strike, he sliced his sword across one of Duratius' knees.

"Ugh…" Duratius groaned as he could feel the gash across his right knee. Staring angrily into Arpineius' eyes, he could tell now that he was the superior soldier. He could no longer be quick enough to move his feet and was too weak to counterattack Arpineius' next move. "Durus! Help me out!" Instinctively, Duratius tossed his sword to Durus who caught it. Durus, like Manlius, had watched Duratius do much of the sword duels and had not participated. They participated only when they felt like it was necessary.

Durus glanced at Arpineius who was preoccupied with Duratius and then proceeded to charge Arpineius. "AHH!" Durus cried.

Arpineius watched as Durus charged him and was defenseless to his move.

Durus slashed Arpineius across the chest, leaving a reminder of the attack in his armor.

Arpineius, now with an open wound on his chest and shoulder, managed to ward off Durus' next attack and cross-slashed his sword with Durus'.

Under the cover of darkness, Pulcher carefully made his way around the dead bodies and absent-minded horses standing, searching for Arpineius. Finding him being surrounded by two large men, he set about to help out his friend.

Pulcher held onto his sword tightly, dark blood from both Buffy and Xander's bodies dripping from the tip of the blade. His attention came onto the man swinging his sword at Arpineius, who was on the defensive. Arpineius glanced over at him, anxiously waiting for him to come to his aid. Pulcher noticed a bigger man clutching his wounded knee away from the scuffle and decided he would not be an issue if helped Arpineius.

Arpineius continued to stare at Pulcher as he saw Durus flying towards him.

"Die you bastard!" he yelled out as he came closer.

Arpineius got his attention on Durus just in time and swung his sword at great force, clashing against Durus'. His eyes widened as his sword flew across the ground.

Arpineius fell back without a sword, jumping to dodge the swings at his feet. Durus slammed his sword into the ground, dirt and mud flying through the air. Some of the mud flew into his face and it suddenly became not too easy to see and he could hear Durus laugh in anticipation. The rain and lightning along with mud had destabilized his vision.

Durus' laugh echoed through the night as Arpineius heard footsteps approaching him, the sound of metal dragging across the ground. If Pulcher did not come soon, his life could end there.

Pulcher brought his sword around and slashed Durus' back from behind and jumped in front of him.

"Hey asshole!" Pulcher yelled as he slashed downwards through Durus' stomach.

Durus fell to the ground slowly.

Arpineius jumped to Pulcher's side. "Is Xander and Buffy…?"

"Buffy should die. Xander…" Pulcher trailed off as he slashed Durus' arm.

Durus fell to his knees, letting out a loud scream of pain.

Pulcher and Arpineius watched Durus him breathe heavily as he grabbed his wounds.

"You let him live? What are you crazy? By the way, that bitch isn't dead as well? She fucking killed Considius. Slit his throat!" Arpineius said as he stared at Pulcher.

Pulcher looked down at Arpineius, distress evident in his face. "Damn it! She killed him?!" Pulcher yelled. Arpineius nodded. "Let's kill these fucks and get back to the cave to finish her and Xander!"

Pulcher rose his sword and had a smirk on his face as he dealt a finishing blow to Durus

Durus fell facedown on the ground, his body covered in his blood.

"Shit," Arpineius said, aware he was suddenly succumbing to his wounds. He grabbed a hold of his chest. He fell to his knees, breathing heavily as he collapsed onto the ground beside Durus.

"Arpineius!" Pulcher yelled.

"Don't be concerned with me. Just kill the last one. I took out his knees so it should be cake…" Arpineius said as he continued to clutch his chest and shoulder. His wounds had been graver than he had expected, and blood was seeping through his armor and body at a fast pace. Arpineius ripped a piece of his cloth underneath his armor and wrapped it around his wound on his right shoulder. He knew he had to at least thwart blood loss from one wound, he could die a less painful death.

Duratius stumbled to the ground to retrieve Durus' fallen sword. His witnessing of Durus being executed right in front of his eyes along with his severe knee cut sent him into a dizzying stagger. His vision faded and he fell to his knees.

Duratius was exhausted, could barely focus and was no match for the men at this point. If he had a moment to catch his breath he could have got back into battle, but there was nothing he could do. His arms ached from swinging his sword continuously, his knee was bleeding, and he was dizzy from the blow his head received when Arpineius had tackled him.

Pulcher hovered over Duratius and glared at him with a cold hatred. "You lead us into this shithole!"

Pulcher lifted his blade and stabbed downwards towards Duratius' neck.

Duratius rolled clear as the blade cut through the air. Duratius grabbed the sword next to him and got to his feet.

As Duratius stood on his feet, he saw that Arpineius was on his knees, ripping cloth off of his body so he could control his wounds. He could tell Arpineius was going to die from his wounds and judged by Pulcher's demeanor, he knew it too.

"You led two of my best men to die!" Pulcher screamed as Duratius turned towards him.

Pulcher's blade was in mid swing and cut across Duratius' chest. Duratius fell backwards. The brunt of the sword's slash was taken by his leather armor, but it still shed some blood. Duratius extended his arm to swing his sword, but Pulcher kicked it away. Duratius attempted a second time to strike Pulcher, but this time Pulcher kicked him to the ground.

Walking conservatively out of the cave, Xander's eyes immediately caught sight of Pulcher approaching a fallen and weak Duratius. Xander started into a run, while trying to keep his puncture wound in his chest from dragging his speed. Running towards Pulcher who was still a good fifty paces away, he started shouting frantically to Pulcher. "Leave him alone! I'm here!" After calling one time, Xander knew right away that his cries were not heard because of the crackling thunder overhead.

Xander was running recklessly, trying to get to his friend before Pulcher killed him. Suddenly, Xander began to recognize he needed a weapon. The grasslands had a ring of horses surrounding a large central center littered with dead bodies and swords. As Xander ran towards Pulcher, Xander searched for a sword he could grab out in the open. Then, he heard a low voice, calling out his name. Xander was surprised he could hear it since the thunder and rain was making an immense amount of noise.

Xander could sense his nerves growing, yet felt useless to decide what to do or anything. A movement in his peripheral vision caught Xander's attention. He saw a man sitting on the ground watching him.

When the man saw that Xander had seen him, he called. "Xander!"

Xander recognized the voice as the low sounds he heard moments before and his face brightened. "Trebonius!" He immediately darted across the field and went towards him.

"I know Duratius is in trouble… but I have to know…" the man's brown eyes were full of concern. "Is Buffy okay?"

"She's fine," Xander said quickly, taking his hand. Xander noticed Trebonius' wound on his chest. He stared at Trebonius warily. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Buffy told me I would. She also told me to play dead, which I did and it worked. So I trust her judgment," Trebonius replied, then added. "That sword next to me is Buffy's. She dropped it before she went after to help you."

Xander stood and glanced at the sword nearby. "It's funny," Xander replied nervously. "Both you and Buffy are dying and need help. But there's nothing I can do about-"

"Buffy," Trebonius interrupted.

Xander nodded bleakly.

"You said she was fine. She's wounded just like me?" Trebonius asked.

"Yes. She hasn't got much time. Probably five minutes. She needs to get out of here," Xander replied. "And so do you."

"There's plenty of transportation," Trebonius said, looking at all of the horses staring oddly around the area.

"I noticed," Xander said, observing Pulcher continuing to stalk Duratius further down the grasslands. "I'd better get going. If I can save Duratius, I can get him to ride Buffy and you for help," Xander replied quickly. He was suddenly feeling much better now and could stand without wavering. "I'm glad you are not dead, Trebonius. You're one of the good ones," Xander said.

"So are you," Trebonius said weakly. "Hey, why Duratius?"

"If I save him. Otherwise, I'll do it," was all Xander could say.

Trebonius gave him a small smile. "Better get going."

Xander gave Trebonius a slight nod and made a hasty exit, snatching Buffy's sword from the ground as he raced towards Pulcher.

Trebonius watched him go. "God, this is going to be interesting to watch."

"Any last words? Any women or children you need to proclaim your love for?" Pulcher stated as he stalked Duratius threateningly. Pulcher sheathed his sword into its case and looked at Duratius with detest. "Xander doomed you all."

Duratius was on his knees, with Pulcher's hands lunging for his throat. Duratius was out of breath from his flesh wound. He looked at Pulcher in front of him. As expected, rage was in his eyes, and a deep sadness marked them, and Pulcher was speaking to him but he could not hear anything but the ringing in his ears. When no response came forth, Pulcher's hands dug slowly around his neck. For a moment Duratius closed his eyes, he knew what Pulcher was capable of doing, or at least what he was going to do anyway, and that is why he decided to prepare himself for death.

"Come on! Say something!" Pulcher shouted.

Duratius only looked at him, his eyes staring at him blankly, and then he remembered why he was at death's door. "I have no reason to say anything to you."

Despair nearly shown on Pulcher's face, as if he didn't want to kill him. "See you in the Elysian fields, brother."

Duratius forced a weak smile. "Elysian fields are for the virtuous. I won't see you there."

"You have betrayed me, and my Praetorian Guard, and you have betrayed all of Rome," Pulcher replied coolly.

Hate filled Duratius quickly. "Betrayed?! You filthy dog!"

Surprised by the hatred in Duratius' voice, Pulcher gripped his neck more forcefully. "I honor your courage, but there is no other choice but to kill you for your treachery."

Duratius smirked. "Kill me and you will not find yourself in the Elysian fields. That is for certain."

Pulcher shook his head. "You cannot judge me. Xander's hate has corrupted you." Pulcher looked into Duratius' eyes. "I can see that you are his friend and that you happened to go along with his foolish excursion as a friendly deed…" Pulcher looked as if he was going to let Duratius' neck go, but he only tightened his grip around it. "I've killed scores of Romans. For some reason, you are different from the others. Why can't I kill you?"

Duratius rose slowly, pushing himself off of his knees. He was in tremendous pain, but he knew he was about to die so pain was a refreshing reminder he was still alive. "Because most of the Romans you have killed are women and children."

Pulcher looked sad; his shoulders slumped forward in a mock attempt to choke him to death. A cold expression came from his eyes as he looked at Duratius standing in front of him. "This is about the mother and daughter? Isn't it?"

"Yes. But you wouldn't know which mother and daughter since I am certain you've killed multiple mothers and daughters."

Pulcher's eyes widened. "I know which mother and daughter. The ones with Xander, of course!"

"Pulcher," Xander said softly from behind, almost whispering. "Let him go."

Pulcher flinched at the tone in Xander's voice.

Duratius' eyes brightened at the sight of his friend. "Xander! Thank god you are-!"

In utter futility Duratius' words were cut off as he gasped; Pulcher had snapped his neck instantly. Duratius recoiled for a moment, then fell to the ground, dead.

"How's that?!" Pulcher screamed, turning to face Xander. "I let him go!"

Xander pointed his sword he had at rest at Pulcher now. "You son of a bitch…" Xander shook his head. "You should have let him live."

"I actually considered doing that… but once I heard your voice…"

Tears welled in Xander's eyes. "I should have stabbed you in the back."

Pulcher now seemed crazed and took delight in the pain he could see coming from Xander. "Yeah you should. But you know what… You're not a Roman. I knew that from the beginning. You have too much trust in human nature."

Within a second, Pulcher jerked his hand downwards and unsheathed his sword. They stood face to face standing in a battle position. Pulcher stood like a normal warrior, his sword held high beside his head, gripping the handle while Xander stood back with his sword still pointing at Pulcher's neck.

Both screamed and their swords clashed, the sounds echoing throughout the night. Pulcher moved his sword forward from left to right, he would turn and hit, and Xander would easily catch the sword with a clash of his own. After nearly a minute of Pulcher on the offensive, Xander managed to push him away with his free hand and swirled his sword with his other hand. Pulcher jumped back and stood firmly against the mud.

Xander charged and thrust his sword forward and Pulcher managed to dodge the blow inches away from his face.

Pulcher turned and swung his sword towards Xander's back as his opponent passed him. Xander planted his feet onto the ground, ducking as he knelt to the ground. Xander heard a whoosh overhead and rapidly turned to face Pulcher, lunging to his feet as he jabbed Pulcher in his midsection by surprise with his sword.

Pulcher grimaced as he absorbed the full brunt of the blow.

Before Xander could rejoice in his move, he ducked another quick swing of the sword from Pulcher. Then he elbowed Pulcher squarely on the chin. The force of the elbow strike left Pulcher dazed, his sword rolling off his fingertips onto the ground. Xander smirked but Pulcher started laughing.

"This is amazing. I am astonished," Pulcher commented, clutching his fresh new wound. His blue eyes gleamed with amusement.

"You have any last things to say?"

Xander thrust his sword, its blade threatening Pulcher, making his opponent lose his balance and fall.

Xander pointed the sharp silver blade inches away from his face. "Xander, wait I can explain!" he heard Pulcher say.

Pulcher was crawling softly away from the blade, terrified. "You know… I'm a powerful man. I can get you anything. Women, money, power… you name it."

"How dare you try to make a deal with me now," Xander hissed.

"But it's true-" Pulcher tried to say but another sword swing made contact with his chest and he looked down to see another gaping wound on his chest.

"Come on… Say something else…" Xander said, indicating to Pulcher he wanted to hear an apology from him. He pulled his sword back and allowed Pulcher to stand on his feet.

"You should let me go, if you know what's best for you. My men back at the camp will get revenge."

"Go on!" Xander cried. "Make your threats, because you are going to die."

"You stupid motherfucker. I've been through hell and I'm still alive. You-" Before Pulcher could finish his sentence he felt a harsh blow to his chest and it knocked him onto the road beside Duratius. He was barely breathing, as he looked down he noticed the butt of the sword sticking from his chest. It had gone completely through his chest. He was in a great deal of pain. He panted and just held on to the sword in his chest. His vision was deteriorating, but in the distance he saw the silhouette of a figure he knew very well, it was Arpineius. His vision of Arpineius was obscured by Xander now, tears still falling from his eyes.

"Before you die, tell me you are sorry for Acacia and Illeana's deaths. The mother and daughter you ordered to kill."

Pulcher wanted for the darkness of death to take him, but by some miraculous force he was still able to live a few moments longer. He would not give Xander any pleasure in his last moments. "My one regret… is that I should have ordered you and Buffy to death…"

Xander nodded, and a cry escaped him.

Pulcher smiled in his wickedness.

Suddenly a flash of silver slashed in front of Pulcher's face, and Pulcher's eyes widened before the light disappeared. Xander had slit Pulcher's throat. A sharp gurgling was heard before the last breath of Pulcher's was drawn and released to be his last. Xander watched as Pulcher died, and took contentment in it. Xander did not know how long he stood there, for time did not exist for him anymore, not then. A wet hand appeared on his shoulder, and he turned around.

"Xander?" The man's eyes too, were full of tears.

Xander looked pityingly at the man. He had nothing to say to the man.

Arpineius dropped his eyes at once, submissive. Then he looked sadly at Pulcher's dead body and then to Xander. "My name is Arpineius. I have a confession to make…"

Xander looked down at Arpineius' chest, and saw a chest wound clearly exposed. It looked horrible, there was dried blood all around it and caked to his skin surrounding it. His first instinct was to look away, but as Arpineius approached him unarmed, he looked at the blood furthermore and deduced Arpineius was moments away from death.

Xander had made the connection instantly. The wounds, one wound must have come from a sword slash to the chest, and the second wound to his shoulder; another slash from a sword.

"Go ahead," Xander remarked. He recognized the man's face. He was the one who knocked him out cold when Acacia and Illeana were killed. He also seemed to him to be Pulcher's second-in-command.

"About the mother and daughter Pulcher ordered to kill. I overheard what you told Pulcher," Arpineius croaked quickly, but Xander gave him a disappointed look that made him take his words back.

"I know you're wondering why I let my friend die," Arpineius spat. "Look, I respected him. He was my leader. But I revolted against the son of a bitch. I swear. I tried to kill him but failed… You know, he could have killed me but he spared me, you know that? I had to respect him for that."

Xander didn't respond.

"That bastard deserved what was coming to him," Arpineius observed. "We all deserved what happened here tonight."

Xander nodded, agreeing with his opinion. Then he said quickly, "Your confession?"

"As I was saying, the mother and daughter…" It was then that Arpineius collapsed into Xander's arms. As Arpineius tried to regain his footing, he realized he wasn't fine. Whatever the wound was to his chest, its pain was amplified by his fall. The pain was much worse now. It felt like someone was stabbing him, a searing pain tearing through his chest. Arpineius had to grit his teeth from crying out, and he was barely able to get to his feet.

"I know what you said earlier. What about the mother and daughter?"

"I'm sorry!" Arpineius cried, tears coming to his eyes. "I am really sorry. No Praetorian Guardsman I bet would apologize, but I will. What we did was terrible and I am sorry!"

"One guardsman was apologetic and that was it," Xander said. "His name was Cimberius."

Arpineius composed himself. "Cimberius. Ah yes. I loved Cimberius. He was a good man."

Xander's tense anger towards Arpineius dissipated quickly once he heard that Arpineius considered Cimberius a good man. It seemed to Xander that he had met another decent Praetorian guardsman. Xander nodded kindly to Arpineius. "He was. He was like a brother to me."

Arpineius wiped the tears from his face and nodded his head. Xander helped him maintain his balance. Arpineius turned to face the dead leader of the Praetorian Guard. "I followed his orders on killing the daughter. But I also ordered her rape…"

Xander's kindness towards Arpineius switched back to cold, tense hatred. He frowned. "What? Why?"

"Why?" Arpineius' voice broke. "I wanted the girl to die having been with a man at least once. Call it a mercy."

Xander nodded quickly, realizing time was of the essence. Two of his friends both had chest wounds similar, but with less severity, than Arpineius' wound that needed to be helped. He also had lost his mutual empathy towards Arpineius once Arpineius revealed he had ordered Illeana's rape. "Well if you see Cimberius, tell him I miss him." Xander walked away, releasing his grip on Arpineius, wishing he could hear a little bit more of what he had to say, but he understood that Buffy and Trebonius needed to be saved as soon as possible.

Arpineius wasn't able to keep to his feet once Xander let go of him. He fell to the ground, and when he did, it felt like a hole ripped through his chest. He let out a scream, throwing his head back and clutching his chest, curling into a ball.

"Please be with me before I die!" Xander heard Arpineius yell as he raced towards the cave. He saw that Trebonius had watched the entire fiasco and when his eyes caught his as he ran, Trebonius jerked his head away, keeping his face down as if he had been preoccupied with something else.

"Fuck. Jupiter have mercy," Arpineius groaned to himself through clenched teeth.

It felt like the chest wound was stabbing right through him. His impact from falling to the ground, he decided, must have driven his pain to a new level. "Oh god," he whispered, realizing death was approaching. His emotions that he had kept inside suddenly overwhelmed him, and he started to cry, tears squeezing from his eyes. He rocked slightly, his body shaking with sobs, and with each movement pain stabbed through him.

Moments later, he felt no more pain.

He was dead.

Xander ran past dead bodies and horses standing around. These horses were aimlessly walking around, trying to find a place for shelter as rain pelted them from the skies. They were totally oblivious to what had just happened, but they knew that something was going on as most of them turned to glance at Xander running across the field.

"Ah!" Xander said as he accidently bumped into one of the horses.

As he passed the horse, he could feel his heartbeat pound faster and faster against his wounded chest. Tears and rain started to water down his vision.

Once Xander had slid down the steep slope inside the cave he caught sight of Buffy's glazed emerald eyes. Her body was slumped on the cave floor.

"Buffy!" Xander screamed as he ran towards his lover and cradled her in his arms, hoping to bring her to her senses.

Xander pulled her into him as he sat fully on the ground. Buffy went with him easily, her head pulled into his shoulder.

"I must say I'm surprised you came back, Xander," Buffy murmured, enjoyment seeping into her tone despite her best attempts to keep it out as he stroked her hair. "You killed him?"

Xander's eyes welled with tears. "Yes."

"Oh Xander…"

Their conversation died as Xander continued to stroke her hair.

The storm got worse from outside; wind had become stronger and the thundering began to go quicker and quicker. It was time to go.

"Well, nice as how this has went, Xander, honey," Buffy stated cheerfully, her eyes squinting as he pulled her to her feet as he stood. "We are finished with this fantasy. I intend to go back to the palace and sleep… with you."

Xander swallowed, his throat tightening and his tired eyes yielding emotion. "I'm going to get a horse and ride you and Trebonius to the Imperial Palace. Can you make it?"

Buffy grinned, pulling him into her with a start as he led her out of the cave.

"If Trebonius can make it, I'm sure I can make it."

With that, Xander grinned.


	31. An Intimate Rendezvous

Chronicles of a Roman Emperor

Chapter 31

There was light and movement as Xander's eyes shuddered open to be stabbed by burning rays of sunshine.

"Ahh," Xander groaned, struggling to rise. A pair of hands pushed him down softly.

"Xander, take it easy. How are you feeling?" he heard a soft voice ask him. It was Dawn. He shielded his eyes with his hand as he peered through his fingers to see Dawn and his friends' faces smiling down at him.

"For a moment, we felt like you were gone," Cato chuckled. "Good to have you back." Xander coughed and groaned again.

"What happened? Is Buffy and Trebonius okay?" Xander asked.

"You came here in the early morning with them. They got the best physicians in Rome working on them. We were told a few minutes ago both will make a full recovery." Willow told him.

"You see, you had some deep cuts and bruises all over your face. You also had a stab wound in the lower abdomen. It was actually minor compared to what the physicians saw with Buffy and Trebonius," a deep hoarse voice explained. Xander craned his neck and saw a tall figure dressed in a purple tunic and a gray cape.

"Caesar," Xander mumbled. "You know what happened?"

"Your servant, Trebonius, told some of my men where this skirmish occurred. My men were dispatched there immediately and confirmed what had happened. They came back to me before sunrise to give me a report… You had killed the leader of the Praetorian Guard, his second-in-command, and all of the ringleaders in Pertinax's assassination… And what I suspect… Didius Julianus' assassination as well…"

"Good," Xander sighed, contracting his eyes as the pain of the night before began to hit him. He opened them again and looked at the Emperor and all of his friends. "I'm in a lot of trouble, aren't I?"

"You bet your ass you are," Severus told him cheerfully, kneeling at his side. "But as Emperor, I'll see to it nothing happens to you. You did a good job, soldier. I'll introduce you to my wife once you get better."

"Speaking of trouble," Willow said. "I promised Buffy I would go back to see her after I left her side. It's best I get going."

"Buffy?" Xander asked. Willow smiled and looked at Xander.

"You guys are my two best friends. I have to treat you the same, you know," she chuckled, drifting effortlessly out of the room.

"Huh?" Xander grunted. He looked at Brittany, Dawn, Cato, and the Emperor. "I hope some of you stay to give me some company. It is unpleasant to be all by your lonesome self."

"They'll give you company," Severus said with a nod, before fading into the background and walking towards the exit of the room. "I have some important business to attend to. Once you feel that you are in better shape, come find me and we can talk." Xander's small gathering of friends watched the Emperor spiral away into the background until he could no longer be seen.

"It sure is a wonderful afternoon," Xander sighed. "Last night was one hell of a night."

Some birds chirped overhead and the grass curved as a small breeze swept across the Imperial Palace. The group was in a state of quiet jubilation as they walked back to Xander's single four-bedroom chamber, after having waited several minutes before Xander was ready to stand and move. They walked at a sluggish pace so that Xander could keep pace, him having declined to be carried by anyone. Dawn, as she had done many times when Xander and Buffy were gone, rode on Brittany's shoulders and fiddled idly with Brittany's brown hair. Cato stood in the middle, next to Xander, taking it upon himself to walk next to his friend in case he stumbled, which he had done already on a few occasions. Dawn had rather quickly reported that, while Xander had passed out after he had got Buffy and Trebonius help, she nearly attempted CPR on him before she realized he was just sleeping. Her bright expression vanished, however, when Xander informed her he had played as if he was asleep because he was so exhausted and actually fell asleep several minutes later.

"Dawn," Xander said suddenly. "You forgive me now, right?"  
"Buffy came back," Dawn smiled. "You saved her life and Trebonius'. You're such a great guy, Xand. Of course I do."

"Is that what she told you? She helped me out when I was with Pulcher. She really saved mine." Xander said, slightly alarmed.

"Yes. You see, she said she tackled Pulcher when you and him were about to get into a fisticuffs. So you weren't in danger. She also said she bashed your face by mistake when you were inside a cave and she told me to apologize to you for that."

"Well, she already apologized and I forgive her," Xander grinned. "And all I can say about me not being in danger is that right before her help; I was getting my ass kicked by Pulcher."

"You did a fantastic job, all of you," Cato told him, referring to him, Buffy, and Trebonius. "I'm proud that you got revenge on behalf of my wife and daughter. Your revenge brings me as much comfort as I'm sure it has given you."

"Yeah, and if it weren't for Duratius, Buffy and I would have been killed," Xander said. He recalled when someone had shouted outside of the cave, diverting Pulcher's attention away from him and Buffy. It was because Duratius was battling Arpineius outside and on the offensive he reasoned, that Pulcher had left Buffy and himself alone in the cave. Xander's eyes widened. "Was there any survivors besides myself, Buffy, and Trebonius?"

"No," Cato said, giving his friend a quick pat on the shoulder.

"What was it like?" Dawn asked Xander suddenly. "I mean, killing Pulcher? It must have been such a wild experience."

Xander shrugged. "Yes it was. It felt like the weight of the world left my shoulders," he tried to explain.

"You were strong enough," Brittany said. "You killed a lot of them I bet."

"No. I didn't. I just killed Pulcher," Xander murmured, looking down. The men who had accompanied him must have killed the rest of the guardsmen. He felt guilty that Duratius, Manlius, and Durus had all died because of his reckless determination for revenge. He knew that he was persistent in persuading Duratius to go with him, who when he decided to get involved, in turn, had convinced his friends, Manlius and Durus to go. Xander sighed and watched the uneven ground as he purposefully tripped over it. Cato was there, however, and caught him by the back of his tunic.

"Watch it, my son," Cato laughed nervously.

Xander put on an expression of mock-seriousness. He had watched it and was looking forward to hitting the cement floor. He felt so heavy with guilt that the least thing he could do was give him a little more pain. He deserved it. "When can I see Buffy and Trebonius?"

"When they are healthy enough to walk," Brittany told him. "Buffy told us that she was nervous about how she would look to you. She's swollen and looks very different."

"Trebonius, on the other hand, said that as your personal bodyguard he felt that he needed to be healthy in order to fulfill his tasks," Cato told him. Xander's eyes suddenly brightened.

"You guys got anything to eat?" Xander asked. "I am starving!"

They arrived at Xander's chamber after about fifteen minutes of walking and quickly headed straight inside the room. Due to the fact that the leading members of the Praetorian Guard had been killed, guards had been posted at Xander's room. When the guards saw Xander they rushed over and knelt before him.

"Xander! Caesar gave us orders to look over you while in your chamber. He feared that the Praetorian Guard would seek revenge for their leader's murder," the guard in charge told him. Xander sighed.

"Leave and tell Caesar that I'll go meet him shortly," Xander told him with a flick of his wrist.

"Yes my lord!" the guard snapped, saluting him. He turned and marched out of the room, followed by three other guards.

"Wow!" Dawn exclaimed.

"What? Why would I need guards?" Xander told her. "Whoever was left at the Praetorian Guard camp knows me just as a messenger. If they are going to attack anybody, it would be the Emperor himself."

"Xander, it's not that. You just have so much power. You could be heir to the Emperor!" Dawn cried with excitement.

"Ah, yes. Being Emperor would put him in the most desirable position…" Cato said, scratching his skin and looking around the chambers thoughtfully.

"Guys… yes, I have power. But so does those guards that just left… So does any senator here…" Xander noted bitterly.

"Of course they do," Dawn chuckled. "But you killed the leaders of the Praetorian Guard!"

"I killed one!" Xander protested.

"Xander, hun, please calm down. We're just joking around, that's all." Brittany reminded him.

"It's not a joke. Why would I want to be Emperor? I'm foreordained dead," Xander said lamely.

Cato shook his head. He knew what Xander was talking about. Most Romans, including himself, knew that Xander's position of minister of military affairs was a position where you had to serve until you died. Cato knew the one chance out of that position was if he became Emperor.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Brittany asked him.

"Let him eat and I'll tell you," Cato warned her. Brittany was quiet as they crossed into the chambers.

After Xander and his friends ate a light lunch, he told them to wait in their room while he spoke with the Emperor. Dawn had a fit because he was going away again, however, but suggested to the rest of them to help tidy Xander's chambers.

Despite the light rain Xander elected to walk outside through the gardens rather than through the sheltered corridors of the Imperial Palace. Xander felt that it was such a relief to finally have achieved what had been causing him misery and agonizing pain for weeks in Rome. Now he felt whole again. Were it not for the necessity of maintaining an appropriate demeanor of a soldier he felt like he'd be dancing and jumping around joyfully.

When Xander entered the Emperor's room, he immediately could tell Severus was in a merry mood. The rain ran down the wide windows of his room, drawing rippling sheets of translucent shadows that slid across the floor toward the throne.

"Yes, come in my friend!" Severus said, rotating his chair away from the windows that overlooked the city of Rome.

"You wanted to talk, Caesar?" Xander asked, and then he noticed a young brunette woman standing across the room. Xander noticed how beautiful she was. Full breasts, long legs, long brown hair, full lips, small waist, and a figure that any woman in his dreams would have. She was the most beautiful woman he had seen since he had been to Rome and he watched as Severus' eyes drifted towards hers. "I did not know you had a guest," he added nervously.

"Ah yes," cracked Severus with a grin, "this is my wife, Julia Domna. She and I have been discussing you a lot… How you wanted to avenge Pertinax's assassination and so forth. We are impressed." A servant kneeling in front of the Emperor grabbed the ends of Severus' cape as Severus stood and walked over to the side of the room where his wife was standing. "We both hate the Praetorian Guard. And we both love you," he enunciated crisply as he reached his wife and began planting kisses on her neck. His wife moaned.

"Great," Xander said uneasily. "Is there something else you wanted to tell me?"

"I have two sons, Xander," Severus sighed, shaking his bearded face beneath his wife's neck. "I know what you want…"

"Sorry, Caesar?" Xander asked as he suddenly became confused. He wondered if he was talking about the way he had gazed at his wife. "What do you mean?"

"You envision yourself to be Emperor," he said softly, fondling his wife's breasts as his eyes gazed down upon them.

Xander was shocked. And indeed, it was a reasonable viewpoint the Emperor had, but it was not true. All had he cared about was to obsess about confronting the killer of Acacia and Illeana and get justice for them. No doubt it was this obsession that got him to this position in the first place. Matters unfortunately, Xander had not told the Emperor and the Emperor was simply looking at these killings as justice for his friend Cimberius' death and as a political assassination of the Praetorian Guard.

Xander adopted a pleading tone. "But, Caesar, that is not true. I swear."

"Spare me your lies," the Emperor continued, glaring at Xander and away from his wife's breasts. "Every fucking soldier out there on the fields wants this throne. Well you know what… I don't plan on getting killed after a few weeks or a few months… I plan on being Emperor for a long time…

"Caesar, I'm telling you the truth. I did this out of revenge. There was no other motive," Xander added.

"Enough of this bullshit," the Emperor grunted, waving his hand dismissively. "What you did has already spread to every corner of this city, I know it! Soon every Roman will talk about you like you were some kind of Spartacus! "

Xander lowered his head. "This wasn't my plan, Caesar. I was just trying to do the right thing."

The Emperor's annoyance was replaced with a look of grave interest. He said nothing for a long moment, during which Xander studied Severus' threatening face. Severus' reaction was all the proof Xander needed that what he had done was the right thing but was also the wrong thing. Of course, becoming more popular than the Emperor right when the Emperor started ruling was a great concern. Xander knew how dirty politics had been in Rome and the way the Praetorian Guard replaced Emperors were disturbing proof of that. There was no telling what the Emperor could do to him now. He could kill him or send him to prison.

Severus stared at him, considering. It went against his nature to kill one of his own soldiers. Still, this man was becoming too popular, and he had heard his wife when she told him minutes before that he needed to be dealt with soon. "As I told you, I have two sons," Severus began. "I plan to joint rule with them in the future. If you become too popular and make too many friends, eventually there will be a conspiracy against me."

"Look at me," Xander said. He held his bruised hands and arms out in front of him so Severus and his wife could see. "I did this for you. You ordered me on this mission. I nearly died… but I completed it. Now you are implying that I am a threat to your rule?"

"Unfortunately you are… or will be…" Severus said, his voice weak, as he wiped a corner of his mouth. "And I'm prepared for that…" Severus thought for a moment. Then he added, "Yes! I'll tell you what… I'll send you in exile for a couple of months so the atmosphere here cools down. I'll send you to the Imperial province of Aegyptus. It is a privilege that not even Senators have. You can enjoy the luxuries of our grain supplier!"

"No," Xander said wearily, eliciting a gasp from Severus' wife. "I just want to live in anonymity with my friends here in Rome. If there is popularity of me out there in the city, it won't be there for long. Why make these rash decisions? I was in your legion."

"If you resided here in Rome, eventually people would use you to conspire against me and it would lead to my death," Severus continued. "… and possibly of my family. Look, Xander… What you did will be written in stone and in history… It's too late to rewrite history. Now you will be known as the man who brought down the Praetorian Guard. I plan on disbanding the Praetorian Guard this evening. Unfortunately your mission will overshadow this historic event!"

"You said you and your wife both love me?" Xander asked. "What love is this?!"

Julia made her arms fold across her chest. "We do love you. You did something none of us had the courage to do. Not even my husband. But for my children's sake, by Jupiter, just follow his instruction and leave for a while!"

Xander shook his head angrily. "With all due respect Caesar, you are making a mistake." Xander did not add to his reply. Had he spoken anymore, he was certain he would have been punished for his insolence. Instead he controlled his emotions and waited. When he realized Severus and Julia were not going to budge or alter their plans for him, he added despondently, "When do I leave?"

Severus walked away from his wife, clasping his hands together between his enormous cloak and looked at Xander's saddened face. "All is well my friend. This is a necessary, precautionary measure. I hope you understand."

Severus' announcement took Xander completely by surprise. He took an involuntary step back towards the exit. In that one second, his fierce pride of what he had accomplished just the night before had been cut to the quick. That the Emperor felt that he was becoming too popular and might overtake him as Emperor?! In his surprise, Xander did not notice the small figure that slipped into the chamber. The newcomer walked nimbly towards Severus and stood by his side. Severus placed a fatherly hand on this child's shoulders, his black cloak draped over his small body.

"I would like you to meet my eldest son, Caracalla," Severus said. "He is five and I plan on making him my heir along with my four-year-old son Geta."

Xander stared at Severus in anger. His indignation spiraled out of control as he realized that Severus was showing that his exile was to keep his family safe and implied to Xander that he was a threat to his family. He also implied to him that Xander had wanted the Emperor position. That was furthest from the truth. Usually so careful in the presence of the Emperor, Xander, for once, lost his patience with Severus. "Is this all a warning for me, Caesar?" Xander rumbled harshly. "I swear to you that what I said is true. I am not interested in becoming Emperor. I am also not a threat to your family!"

Severus' blue eyes flashed, making Xander cut short his defense. He pointed a crooked finger at Xander and addressed him. "Perhaps I did not make myself clear, Xander! This is a precautionary measure! I demand you comply with this exile or I will have you condemned to death for treason!" Severus turned abruptly away from Xander and returned to his throne.

Julia remained standing, the picture of discomfort, looking unsteadily at Xander.

Xander took the opportunity to examine her closely. She was short and thin in her splendid white toga. She looked like she was in her early 20s. Her long flowing hair was deep brown. Her crystal blue eyes seemed too large for her small face. She seemed stern and vulnerable at the same time. She did not seem intimidated by her husband or of him, but she did seem embarrassed by how the meeting had progressed.

"I can understand your reaction," the Emperor said loudly. "You've tried to get revenge on the Praetorian Guard for some time, I know. But treat this exile as a vacation. A well deserved vacation." Severus stared at Xander as he spoke.

With Severus' attention on him, Xander straightened with pride and abandoned Julia's pretty face to look at the Emperor's face with gloom.

"I know you want to be with your friends and relax," Severus continued. "I took personal interest in your blonde woman. She seems like a capable warrior." Severus placed one hand on his chest. "I would like her to be here with me during your exile. I could make her one of my best soldiers. A woman! Can you imagine? Caesar trains a woman to become a very good soldier!"

Xander felt incredulous at this turn of events. He was to be exiled, and Severus wanted Buffy to be in Rome with him while he was gone. And yet, Buffy didn't need to be trained. There must be a very good reason why Severus was doing this. Xander vowed to himself he would find out. He looked at Severus. The Emperor was watching him, with his jaw set and his face a thin line of displeasure. Xander could not afford the Emperor's displeasure, not now, and not ever. No one who had directly defied a Roman Emperor, Xander was certain, had ever survived the experience. Xander responded in the only way that was available to him. "As you wish, Caesar."

Severus still glared at him. "Very good, Xander. You will leave tomorrow at dawn. Given time, you will see the value of this exile."

Xander breathed a careful sigh of relief. He had sensed a possible confrontation building, and he was glad it had not materialized. He reasonably did not want Severus to be angered, and he did not want to be in a position where he would jeopardize the lives of his friends. Severus' authority had carried the moment, but it was a temporary solution. Once he was alone with Severus, he would have to prove against his strong doubts. It was not going to be easy to get a meeting alone, but that didn't destroy Xander's enthusiasm. He was Severus' minister of military affairs. He had only recently been declared this position. It had been a source of great pride and joy to be at this position but after speaking with Paulus, Cimberius' grandfather, he realized that he had unbeknownst to him, entered the thick web of Roman cutthroat politics. He knew he could be considered a threat to anyone in power, including the Emperor, and that meant he could be killed.

Shaking his head, Xander walked over to the door he came in and determinedly left the room, slamming the door behind him. 'Hopefully that will not displease him,' Xander wondered as he wandered aimlessly around the palace courtyard.

The Emperor looked pointedly at his wife, Julia Domna. "Give him some time to cool down. After that, I want you to go and speak some sense into him. I want him to be happy with my decision, by any means necessary. However, keep this as low profile as possible. We do not want this known that I am sending him into exile. The Roman people will understand that he left on another mission from me… to monitor the grain supply or something along those lines. And if this man you speak to is somehow… angry at me," the Emperor smiled, "Make sure you tell me and I will make sure my men cut him down before sundown."

Julia nodded to him, the Emperor observed, but not without giving each other a wary sidelong glance.

Tarquin assessed the possible damage his mission would do to him and his men. He had spent most of the morning and afternoon; attempting to perfect a speech he would give to the remaining Praetorian Guard soldiers to sway them in his direction for a mission he was planning. His speech seemed strangely weak, at least to his own ears. He hadn't doubted himself much, but this time it was different. Maybe he could go over the speech with a fellow Praetorian Guardsman later and that might be helpful, he reasoned.

He slammed his fist into one of the books on Pulcher's desk, bruising his knuckles. He winced and brought them to his mouth, scowling at the new depths the news of his death and his friends had sunk him to.

The last time he saw Pulcher he had been compassionate and caring. At one point he felt like he had seen genuine caring in his eyes, had even expected Pulcher to give him a hug before he left.

He had trembled with rage when he first heard the news, the pure fury of what the Emperor had done to his friends causing his throat to tighten. The urge to beat the Roman man's smug, spiteful face had been so overwhelming. But he had tried to maintain his composure, realizing he was the new leader of the Praetorian Guard. So he stormed from the main gate where a Roman civilian had told him the grave news and fled back to Pulcher's chambers, the one place he felt safe and at home. Although now, it felt like an empty, hollow room. A room of a dead man.

Some part of him told him to be considerate to the other Praetorian Guards, be brave and fiercely protective of them, of himself and of the camp itself. But it was so much easier now to examine his worthless state now than his virtues. He had to grief, after all.

He knew he shouldn't be in Pulcher's chambers the rest of the afternoon. Maybe he would go take a walk around the camp, try to plan out his attack on the Imperial Palace, and take a nap. He had barely slept the night before, and as soon as he got his nap it would finally be time to give his speech and prepare for his mission.

Xander returned back to his chambers with a resigned look on his face.

"He is going to send me into exile," Xander told them. "Apparently I'm too popular now."

"You must be joking," Cato chuckled.

"But you just got back from doing what he asked for. You should be free to do whatever you want," Brittany explained frantically.

"He's the Emperor and I'm not," Xander told Brittany.

"You're not actually going, are you?!" Dawn asked. "You're not leaving us again!"

"Sorry Dawn, but Severus told me that I have to leave early tomorrow morning. He asked in particular for Buffy to be here, though," Xander told Dawn apologetically.

"That's not fair!" Dawn wailed.

"I'll go with you Xander," Cato said. "There's nothing in Rome for me anymore. I might as well give you company."

"Cato and I will join you too," Brittany piped up. "It'll be nice to get out of this god forsaken place."

"Where are you being exiled to?" Dawn asked.

"I bet somewhere terrible," Cato said absently. Brittany elbowed Cato in the stomach.

"A place called Aegyptus," Xander shrugged. Cato squealed with delight and jumped at Xander. Unfortunately for the both of them, Xander was still rather weak and he simply collapsed underneath him.

The rain was sprinkling, the hot sun was shining and even the grass was glistening with fresh rain. A lake enmeshed inside the Imperial Palace sparked with an unusual incandescence as pure white swans glided across the lake quietly.

It was now later in the afternoon and Xander was with Cato, Brittany, Dawn, and Willow. Buffy and Trebonius were still under care for their wounds at the other end of the Imperial Palace. Orange golden leaves drifted down on them as they sat on a couple of benches. Xander sat with Willow and Dawn on his sides, while he looked at Cato and Brittany on the other bench. Dawn laughed with delight as she brushed a leaf from Xander's hair softly. They smiled at each other with a tempting linger as they all rejoiced in watching the rain drop into the lake immediately to Xander's right. This was a beautiful spot to be.

"Oh! We're going to have such a great time!" Dawn laughed, "Imagine, we are going to Egypt! What a wonderful place to go! I've always wanted to see the pyramids!"

Cato had told Xander right after he hugged him that Aegyptus was Egypt. Xander was happy that he would be going there but still not too thrilled about his sudden departure. He was also not too thrilled that his friends were all convinced they could smuggle Buffy out with them against the Emperor's orders. Xander blushed with an embarrassed grin as Dawn lay across his lap.

"Well… Severus didn't mention anything about me bringing my friends with me. And I'm sure we can get Buffy out whether I convince Severus or not…"

Xander's voice shook with nervousness and he felt like he wanted to melt away.

Dawn and Willow seemed to appreciate his statement, gazing at his face as if they wanted to sleep with him. Xander sighed as he thought about how he was desired by Dawn, by Brittany, and what he was soon suspecting to be Willow as well. But as Xander stared at each of the woman's gazing eyes, he decided that he would do his best to please them and their wishes.

"You wonder if Acacia and Illeana are smiling down on you, Xander?" Dawn said. Xander looked to the heavens, wondering what had happened to his torment about their deaths. That morning he had gotten little sleep but for the first time in a while, he had not had any visions, hallunications, and nightmares about their deaths. He had slept peacefully and instead had visions of Buffy and him. He hoped that Acacia and Illeana knew that the men involved in their brutal deaths had gotten the punishment they deserved and maybe, they were on the other side doing things that would make them happy.

"I'm sure they are…" Xander said softly as he ran his hands through Dawn's wavy brown hair.

"That's good," said a relieved Willow.

"So what should we do in Egypt?" Brittany asked. That question startled Xander and he thought carefully about his plans.

Xander grinned. "I hope I can always be with you guys and gals. I also hope to make you all happy and safe."

"You're so right," agreed Willow. She leaned closer to Xander, and neither Brittany nor Dawn objected to her move. She kissed Xander on the cheek gently. "We love you, Xand."

"Thanks, Willow. You know I've been wondering if you and Buffy could join me tonight… being it's my last night and all…?"

"You mean a threesome?! I'd love to!" Willow said joyfully.

Xander was stunned. He had said it facetiously just so he could get a witted response from Willow, in which she'd probably laugh and say that he was out of his league. He didn't expect she would take it seriously. Realizing what a great position he was in, he simply relaxed and waited for Willow to retract her statement. She didn't. The rest of the group gave Xander a disgusted look, but at the same time, a friendly one. 'Is Willow really serious?' Xander wondered. If she was, he would have one hell of a night.

Then Willow entwined her hands with Xander's as the sun shone on them and the rest of Xander's friends. All of them hoped for a bright future together.

It was almost evening when all of them went to get their dinner at Xander's chambers. Xander and his friends had taken all the stuff they might need for tomorrow. After about an hour, they finished their dinner. Xander, Willow, and Dawn walked outside while Cato and Brittany cleaned the room and packed their belongings.

The three of them walked down the deserted corridors of the Imperial Palace for a while, and Xander started to doubt that anyone was even inside the Palace that night. Everything seemed to be gone and empty. Willow sighed.

"I know you were joking, Xander," Willow muttered, walking closely to Xander. "But I wasn't. I really would like to and I'm sure you would too."

"Whoa, whoa, Willow, honey, that is absolutely outrageous," Dawn said, rolling her eyes as she kept pace with them. She gave Xander a desperate glance. "Are you serious, Xand?"

"Uh…I…" Xander clumsily mumbled as he rounded a tree with them. There, they found a clearing and a river. They were on the outskirts of the east end of the Imperial Palace. As if on cue, a woman's voice called out Xander's name from somewhere in the middle of the Imperial Palace Xander and his friends had been walking beside. On full alert, Xander dashed quickly back into the Imperial Palace without saying anything to Dawn or Brittany.

"Hey Xander! Wait!" Dawn cried, running after Xander. Willow soon followed and eventually ran past Dawn in their race to get to him.

Xander continued forward in his hero mode, ready to strike whatever was harming that voice. For some reason, he had the notion that the voice was crying for help.

"Come on, Xander! We need to talk!" Xander was suddenly surprised to hear a woman's voice calling for him, but he pressed on anyway, confident he was going to save her from impending danger. Her voice was deep and sounded familiar. He was just about to jump into view when Willow caught up with him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Xander, wait! It could be a trap!" Willow stuck her head through some trees in the courtyard, and gasped as she saw a beautiful brunette glancing at her reflection in a shallow part of the lake where they had been earlier that afternoon. Willow was instantly smitten at the sight of the woman.

"Willow, calm down," Xander said, agitated. He pushed Willow's hands off of his body as she stared mesmerized at what she had seen. Xander noticed the strange look of lust in her eyes. "Willow, what is it?"

Before Xander could look through the trees, Willow laughed and tried to kiss him.

"It's better if we just go back to your room and wait for Buffy," she said, putting her face near his.

"Willow, what's your deal?" Xander said, glaring at her, and crossing his arms. "She might need help…" Xander noticed Willow had left his side and went to meet with Dawn who had raced over to them. He heard Willow try to explain to Dawn what she had seen and what was going on. Too far away to hear what she was saying, Xander decided to see for himself. He whirled around and looked through the trees, trying to see what had caught Willow's attention. He was shocked and made a grunting noise that resembled, "Oh baby."

It was Julia Domna, the woman he had seen and heard earlier. The moon shone brightly on her face, illuminating it, making her blue eyes sparkle in the dim light of the lake.

"Xander?" He felt someone pulling on his sleeve. "Who is that woman?" It was Dawn, standing next to him, sleepy-eyed.

"Huh? Oh and um, it's the Emperor's wife." He shot another glance towards Julia and said, for the second time seeing her in a different light. She was sexy. He murmured quickly to Dawn, while keeping his eyes gazed at Julia, "Go take Willow back to my chambers. This is important."

Dawn frowned at him at first, giving Xander a confused look. Then she looked at him intensely and turned away, walking towards Willow and away from him.

Julia smiled as she saw Xander approach her. She had a lot of admiration for a man who walked with authority and strength. When her husband had become Emperor, she doubted she could meet a man that could captivate her senses like Severus did. Xander had proved her wrong.

"You lost, Ms. Domna?" Xander chided, his brown eyes twinkling.

The woman in the tight white toga wrapped her arms around her chest to ease her shivering caused by the cool of the night. "You know I'm not. I was looking for you."

Xander watched her deep blue eyes scanning his eyes and lips. He smiled. "I noticed."

Julia shook her head and sighed. "Can you talk somewhere private indoors?" She motioned for a bodyguard concealed in the shadows behind her to leave. She then wet her lips with her tongue. "It's regarding your exile."

Xander found his gaze lowering to her moistened lips, feeling an unusually strong attraction to this young woman. He allowed a full smile to cross his lips. "Sure."

Stepping through a small gate as he followed Julia, Xander found himself in an idyllic park with a small lake in the middle. It was reminiscent of the place he and his friends had been earlier in the afternoon. Trees rustled in the light breeze as they walked over to a sheltered picnic bench and sat down.

Xander took in the surroundings before bringing his eyes back to rest on Julia.

"It's beautiful down here. You fit right in."

Julia realized that Xander was a lot more forward and charming than the way he appeared in front of her husband and it caused her to blush. She suspected his charm must be a side effect of his newfound fame.

"You know… I spend a lot of time with my husband down here." Julia watched his eyes grow wide.

"I hope you do. He's a very desirable man, being the Emperor and all."

"And I'm not a very desirable woman?" Julia giggled and Xander felt his stomach flutter. He'd missed that sound so much. "It's funny but I feel that my husband picked me for my political opinions and philosophy more than my beauty."

"I doubt that." Xander silently hoped he had not jeopardized their conversation by his flirtations.

"You know I've been faithful to my husband ever since we married. There have been so many soldiers I've met. But you're different." She smiled and Xander swallowed nervously as he looked deep into her eyes.

He felt clueless for something to say; all he wanted to do was make her giggle once again but he was nervous he would put his foot in it.

"I'm probably the best looking one, you'd say." Xander grinned at her and she giggled again.

"You're not Roman." Julia flashed him a wide smile. "But non Romans are the best looking ones."

"But you're Roman though." Xander tested the water a little, hoping to get a reaction that would let him know if she liked him.

"Actually I'm of Arab origin." Julia said unequivocally before giggling again.

"Oh. Well no reason to disagree with you there." Xander chuckled and Julia felt her body heat from within by the sound of his voice.

"You have a nice woman." She reached over and ran her fingers through his brown hair, tousling it slightly. Xander inhaled at the touch of her fingers and he knew it was a good sign that she liked him. "She is very pretty."

"You're not so bad yourself." Xander gave her a tender smile and Julia felt her knees weaken.

"You seem too young for a soldier." Julia tried to keep her face straight. She suddenly realized that he was so much better looking when right next to him. "But I hope you're older than 23 because I only like guys older than me."

"I am. 27." Xander met her eyes and gave her a serious look. Julia blushed. It seemed like he was telling the truth. "How old is your husband?"

Julia lowered her head in embarrassment. "48."

"Oh! Well, I guess you do like older guys," Xander joked, rubbing it in a little too much.

They sat in silence for a while and Julia struggled to put all of her statements into some kind of order, but Xander's boyish looks and soft smiles were diverting her attention too much.

"You are being exiled to Aegyptus, Xander."

"Yes." Xander sighed. "Without Buffy."

Julia grimaced. "I know. Damn playboy. My husband just wants to fuck her, you know?"

"I figured that was his reason. Haven't you tried to talk him out of it?" Xander lowered his eyes to rest on the table and waited for her response.

"I'm so sorry about that. I tried to convince him not to but the bloody bastard wasn't swayed. He's the Emperor. By Jupiter, I've already bore him two children. He can kill me if he becomes displeased with me. You understand that, right?"

"Yes, I do." Xander looked up at her and she managed a small smile. "You have to let me smuggle her out of here with my friends when I depart. I love her."

"I have a lot more power than my husband suspects. I'll make sure some men take you and your friends out to Aegyptus. I'm doing this for you and myself. I'm his wife, damn it. If he's going to fuck another woman, I should at least be involved."

Xander chuckled at her and it was like music to his ears. She had been so kind and told him exactly what he needed to hear. She wanted him to be happy.

Julia giggled and stood to her feet, grasping his hand with her own. She started walking around the perimeter of the lake with him. Xander looked down at their hands and then up at her face. He sighed as he watched her, the shining full moon beating down on her and causing her hair to shine in the light.

When they nearly had done a lap around the lake, Julia cut short their walking and looked up at him, rubbing her fingers within his hands.

"My husband told me he wanted you to be happy and that's why he sent me here… to make you happy. But I want to make you happy. You single-handedly took care of the Praetorian Guard leadership. That allowed my husband to disband them immediately. Without you killing Pulcher… it would have taken a while for us to do something about them. Thank you."

"Your welcome." Xander grinned back at her.

Xander squeezed her hand as he watched her stare at some children playing on the grass outside. He noticed Caracalla and another young boy playing with him.

Coming out of her trance, she found Xander smiling down at her.

"Those are my children. You met Caracalla." Julia looked up at him.

"They are beautiful children. What's the name of your other son?"

"His name is Geta. He's four." She reached up and touched his cheek softly and Xander sighed as he felt her touch.

"Are you certain that you are going to allow Buffy to come with us? Wouldn't that endanger you?"

Julia pulled her hand away from him and frowned. "Of course I am. He won't lay a hand on me. He will understand."

"Thank you so much."

"I admit I am jealous you got a girl like her." Julia beamed and started walking once again.

"Jealous, huh?" Xander smiled and followed her.

"Means I would like to fuck you." She turned around and smiled wide at him.

"Funny I feel the same thing about you." He carried on walking alongside her and he felt her hand slip into his.

In response, Xander raised her hands to cup his face and gently she pulled him down, pressing her lips lightly against his.

They shared the gentle kiss as the breeze continued to wrap around them. When they broke apart, she smiled. He smiled as well, and she stroked his cheek. He drew her over to her children playing underneath some shelter from the light drizzle. "Are you going to miss me?" Xander asked.

Julia nodded, and his arms tightened slightly around her. "Open your door," he whispered in her ear. She did, and felt warm air rush through her and over her skin. She walked through the room, with her children running in from behind, the warm air rushing over them.

The full moon shone full overhead and lit through the draped curtains of her room. They carefully moved into her room, moving around the playing children until they came to a big bed at the corner of the room. He gently sat down beside her on the bed and moved near her. He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Julia noticed how gentle he was, and how much different he was from what she had expected.

"How much time do we got?" Xander asked softly.

"Ten minutes," Julia said, sighing as his hands wandered through her face. He gently pulled her down in front of him, pulling her on his lap and wrapping his arms around her. Her head rested on his shoulder as she turned and watched the water sparkle in the moonlight from the windows. They could also see the moon reflect outward from the waters.

"It's so beautiful," she said softly, placing her hands over his. She noticed her children were playing around them and she said softly, "Go see father and give him company!"

The children complied and left the room.

Xander smiled and they stayed that way for a while, enjoying each other's company and comfort. After that, they engaged in what Xander knew would be the best physical exercise he'd ever experienced in Rome.


	32. Fornication

Chronicles of a Roman Emperor

Chapter 32: Fornication

Author's note: Feedback appreciated.

"Xander, please," Julia pleaded, but her arms were already latched onto his body, her mouth searching for his.

He gave it to her. His big hands slid down to her hips and his fingers teased between her legs as he pulled her to the muscular outline of his body and moved her against him.

He nibbled on her lips while he positioned her in an intimacy that made her gasp and shiver.

"You're so pretty," he whispered into her mouth, groaning. "It's amazing."

"Xander…!"

"I need you, Julia!" He kissed her hungrily. His hands released her hips and slid along her body, underneath her toga. It fell to her waist and his hands caressed her while his mouth teased and besieged hers. She felt his fingers teasing her nipples into even more arousal, and she moaned harshly.

"Come on, fuck me more!"

He caught her against him, rubbing his chest against her breasts in a soft, sweet abrasion that made her cry out. His arms enfolded her and he buried his face in her wet neck, holding her, rocking her in an intimacy he knew she had not shared with anyone else.

"You are so soft. You want me to fuck you some more?" he whispered, letting his cheek slide down hers until he could reach her mouth.

The thought of it made her body ache. "Yes," she moaned. "But my husband!"

"I know. We should go…"

His mouth fastened onto hers and his hands slid down her back, under her perfectly formed butt. He touched her with a cautious, skillful intimacy. He held her in this position, making her shievr and moan against his mouth as the intimacy too away all her concerns.

But he was too hungry for her. He had to pull back while he still could. A pregnancy for her would be a terrible cost for him and his friends for a few minutes of pleasure. Yes, he realized, he should pull back.

For her, he knew as he grasped her white toga to place over her naked body, it probably wouldn't be very pleasant at all. Because she was the Emperor's wife. The Emperor's wife. His head spun wildly at the notion that he had just had sex with the Emperor's wife, teaching her his tricks and giving her the ultimate sensual pleasure. But she was too powerful. Too powerful, and too far away socially and financially.

"Why do you have to leave?" she asked miserably when he was holding her, soothing her in the heated aftermath.

"I'm wondering that myself," he replied quietly. "Man, I love touching you."

"I'll convince my husband for you to be here! Wait, there's one of my guards!"

He bent and brushed his mouth softly over hers. "Open your mouth," he whispered tenderly. "I love to taste you."

She moaned. He could have thrown her down outside near the lake and made love to her in full view of her guards and she wouldn't protest it at all.

He drew back with evident reluctance. His face was drawn and pale as he looked down at her. "We have to leave, now," Xander said, with a pondering stare into her deep blue eyes.

She knew it. Standing in his arms, with her whole body screaming to belong to him, she realized that after the pleasure would come disappointment, disgrace, hurt. "I know," she agreed sadly.

He sighed heavily. "You deserve more than my lust."

She swallowed. "Are you…sure… that's all it is, Xander?" she asked miserably.

He flashed a slight frown at her and let go of her. "Yes," he said flatly, contemplating whether that was really how he felt. "A lust that makes me ashamed. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done this."

"I know."

"I go insane the moment I touch you." He laughed bitterly. "God, how could I cheat on Buffy?" He grimaced. "We shouldn't do this again."

"I know. We won't. I just needed this and I know you needed this too," she confessed.

"Yes," he agreed humbly. "And you can see how good it felt."

She flushed, averting her eyes as she recalled with vivid detail how intimate they'd become on her bed.

"That was the best sex I've had," she said, her blue eyes gleaming with happiness. Then she added bitterly, "My husband is not capable of this kind of exercise."

He turned her to face towards his with a long sigh. "I'm sure he is," he said. "If he can become Emperor, he has plenty in the tank." His eyes dropped to her soft lips. "It's been a while since I've had the touch of a woman and enjoyed it. Even when I was with Buffy… I enjoyed her, but I felt like this overwhelming need for revenge. Most of my energy was directed at the Praetorian Guard and not on Buffy... Now that I got my revenge… It feels so good to be with someone. You make me want to find out how good I can be with a woman, Julia." He was silent for a moment, looking puzzled and even a little vulnerable.

Julia searched his face with sad, quiet eyes. "Do you really feel that way?"

He touched her face softly. "Yes. I love Buffy. I feel so much love for her, such aching need. She's been with me ever since I arrived here in Rome." He winced. "She's known me ever since I was a teenager. But she didn't love me until we got to Rome. Before then she loved men that were so different from me. She liked the unattainable and I was the attainable. I loved her ever since I met eyes on her. It just seems to me it's not reciprocated enough, I suppose," he confessed, lowering his eyes onto hers. He searched her face carefully. "But even if I did have strong feelings for you and that being the case, I feel like we should just go our separate ways. You have two lovely children and a good husband. That's all you need."

Julia felt her pulse leap. She was falling in love with him. She looked straight at him. "I'll miss you, Xander," she said, smiling. "But we must go on."

"You look sad," Xander remarked. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm fine. Like you said, I got all what I need," she said, forcing a smile as tears came to her eyes.

But she wasn't fine. She had went through the motions each time with her husband, joining him on his military campaigns, boring him two children and luxuries that only an Emperor could provide. But her love wasn't in it. She wished she had someone else. That someone she wished was Xander.

Buffy was talking to her sister, prowling around Xander's room, feeling so happy. Cato, Brittany, and Willow were in the opposite side of the room; she could hear their voices. It made her feel safe and happy; to know they were talking about leaving Rome. It made her actually wonder if being transported to Rome was the right thing for her.

Buffy stood next to her sister, staring at her sister's bright blue eyes. She went to the mirror. She had blonde hair and green eyes. Like her father. With the moon just outside behind her, Buffy stared into the mirror at herself, realizing she looked very nice compared to the beating she had the night before.

Hearing footsteps, Buffy whirled around. Xander stood framed in the doorway.

"Xander!" Dawn yelped, pointing at him.

"It is him," Xander said.

"With the Emperor's wife?" Dawn pressed.

"No," Xander said. "I'm by myself."

Buffy laughed, as if Xander had just said the best thing. "It's about time," Buffy said, smiling. "I wanted to get you by yourself for a while."

Xander squinted at the blonde slayer. The room was bright because of the moon but Buffy was in the shadows. Xander moved further into the room. She looked gorgeous and there was no bruises or cuts easily visible by the naked eye. "Why not when you were recuperating?" Xander asked.

"You would be horrified," Buffy told him, chuckling.

Xander grinned. Then he wondered about what Willow had said about having a threesome. "Did Dawn tell you…?"

"Oh, she told me," Buffy said. "Very much so."

"So… uh…" Xander began.

"Yes, I'd love to," Buffy said, but the smile wavered on her face.

Xander's heart jumped into his throat. Oh, he was going to be the luckiest man in the world. "Buffy," he began.

"How about we take it easy for a bit?" Buffy asked carefully. "And let me find a book on Roman history I can give you…" She began looking through a bookshelf nearby, peering at every title.

"Buffy!" Xander said again.

As if she knew what Xander was trying to do, Buffy began to search even more diligently. "Where's a book?" Buffy asked herself.

"Come on, Buffy," Xander said louder.

"Here's one," Buffy said, pulling a thin volume from the shelf.

She looked so steady and pretty with her blonde hair, and Xander had a swift, urgent longing to throw himself into her arms. But Xander controlled the urge, and Buffy handed him the volume. Once he grasped the volume he tossed it aside to the floor next to Dawn. He wanted to ask her if she was okay with going through with it, but he knew she was a little disturbed but wanted to make happy. He cleared his throat and told her in a voice too low for Dawn to hear.

"I was just joking with Willow when I told her," Xander said. "She took it seriously. But as a guy…"

"You would feel silly if you passed on this opportunity, of course," Buffy finished, her expression turning sour.

"I just want to be with you, Buffy, but I have a feeling Willow…"

"She feels left out," Buffy finished once again. She shook her head and looked at Dawn, who clearly was uneasy about what they were talking about.

"Buffy, should I go?" Dawn asked, noticing great anger in the slayer in the set of her eyes and mouth.

Buffy nodded. She looked at Dawn, at the volume on the floor, and then at Xander. "We all love you, Xander. You deserve anything right now… for saving me on several occasions… For saving all of us. Protecting us," Buffy explained.

"Buffy… are you okay… with this?" Xander asked, barely able to ask.

"Willow's a lesbian, Xander," Buffy said. "But I know she looks at me as a friend."

"I'm sorry, Buffy," Xander said.

Buffy nodded, as if there was nothing more to say.

Xander tried to imagine what it might be like, to be in bed with his two best friends and have Buffy shamed by the whole incident. They were silent for a moment, listening to Cato talk about birds across the room.

"Have you talked to Willow, Buffy?" Xander asked. "Did you find out if she really wants to go through with this?"

"No, I didn't," Buffy said, feeling strangely hollow. "But I'm sure she does."

"Have you ever been with a woman?"

Buffy hesitated. This was not fun. "No," she said.

"Oh." Xander smiled. Was it his imagination or were this night getting better and better? He was embarrassed about asking Buffy these things but he wanted to probe what was perturbing her. "I would like to just be with you, tonight, but…"

"Guess you need another woman to satisfy you," Buffy said, trying to make a joke, not realizing Xander had just done that minutes before. "You know, I bet you she spends more time on me than on you, anyway."

"You have a point there," Xander said, not laughing, instantly being reminded of him having sex with Julia. His odd reaction, strangely, made Buffy feel good.

Buffy stared at him, and she saw kindness in his eyes. She didn't find her situation too funny, as anyone with a lesbian as a good friend would. Xander was excited about having a threesome with his two best friends but the friend that was going to join them was probably going to spend more time with his girlfriend than with him.

"Why do you feel like she wanted to?" Xander asked after another minute.

"Because she wants to spend time with us?"

"I wish that was the only reason," Xander said.

Buffy was polite and didn't tease, but she also seemed to know that Willow might be liking Xander more than what she had expected. She waited.

"You know… I have a suscipion that your sister likes me, Brittany likes me, and Willow likes me…" Xander said.

Was it her imagination or was Xander turning red? Buffy observed.

"It's strange isn't it," she said quietly.

"Well, it's nice but I feel like I have to please everyone, you know? If Willow likes me, and wants to screw me, I feel like she should." Xander clasped his hands, feeling the shame of what he was talking about and of his recent unfaithfulness to Buffy. The sound of heavy rain hitting the ground came through an open window.

"You're a guy, I understand," Buffy said.

"Well, I also want to spend time with them. And if all that time they want to spend with me is sexual, then I should… right?"

"You're implying that it's okay to cheat on me, right?" Buffy asked, staring intently at him.

"Not really, but if it happens, you'd understand right?" Xander asked nervously. He was inching his way towards telling Buffy what he actually did with Julia, feeling guiltier by the second.

"Being with Willow is not cheating on me, Xander," Buffy said quickly, understanding what he saying in a different way. "It is more like me cheating on you. Even if Willow likes you, she is a lesbian. And you're a guy. Nuff said." She glanced at the other end of the room and at her friends. "Let's spend some more time with our friends and then your lucky night can come."

"Oh man." They started walking across the room, ready to interact with their friends.

Xander's heart was racing. He felt something in the way Buffy was looking at him that made him gaze out the window. The rain was pounding on the ground now. It was getting later in the evening, and Xander's pulse raced even faster.

A look passed between him and Buffy with a ferocity of emotion that shook Xander inside.

"Aww, you're getting nervous about it," Buffy said.

Xander didn't reply. Buffy saw his mood change that instant.

"I'm cool. I'm man enough."

"You can lead three men to die for you but you're getting freaked out by having sex with two girls?"

Xander glanced down at her face and was shocked by her expression. She was now calm and cool, when just moments before, she was the nervous one.

"Well, aren't you?"

"Not anymore." She smiled at him.

Xander was stunned. He felt too shocked to say anything and felt completely confused by the shift of her emotions. The nervousness quickly left Xander's eyes, but so did all his expression.

"I know it's going to be a fun night," Buffy said after a moment.

"Me too," he said, seeming relieved. Now she was matching his own excitement.

Willow was still laughing as she entered through the curtains of a secluded bedroom inside Xander's chambers. She had skipped to the room after having nice groups get together for the most of the night. Her mood could best be described as giddy.

"Honey, we're home!" Willow shouted once she entered the secluded area, laughing at herself as she did so.

Xander and Buffy followed Willow into the area and gave each other odd looks. They both went into the area and Buffy took a seat on the bed.

Buffy relaxed as she sat, watching Willow guardedly as she moved nearer to where she sat.

Willow jumped onto the bed, straddling Buffy's lap with a big smile and bright eyes. She kissed Buffy soundly on the lips and said, "You ready for the two of us?"

Before the mystified Slayer could even respond, Willow took Buffy's hands and jumped back to her feet, pulling the Slayer with her. She began to dance around the bed, singing, "Lady, hear me tonight, cause your beating is just so right!"

Buffy looked over at Xander and said, "She had a little bit too much to drink tonight didn't she?"

At the same time Xander said, "You like Modjo, huh, Willow?"

Willow laughed at that, while Buffy blushed.

Dancing quickly, Willow teased. "Just because I sing it doesn't mean I like it, Xander! Modjo is too techno… You know I like Melissa Etheridge." Willow had to struggle to say it with a straight face but the look on Xander and Buffy's faces was worth it.

Xander's jaw gaped and his eyes widened when he heard Melissa Etheridge's name. "For obvious reasons…" Xander said after a moment.

When Buffy heard what Xander said, Buffy laughed out loud. "Oh, Xander!" she said between laughs, "She's a good singer. Just because she's a lesbian doesn't mean Willow likes her just for that."

Willow, already giddy, cried, "I do just because she's a lesbian!" before succumbing to laughter herself.

Xander smiled weakly as Buffy laughed hysterically.

"Why don't you get undressed as we dance?" Willow pressed. She looked over Buffy's shoulder at Xander, not relinquishing her grip on Buffy's shoulders. "You're a work of art, Xander. We have to see it."

Xander looked back and forth between Buffy and Willow, both of whom were waiting for a response. Finally, he reluctantly said, "I, uh. You know… it's easy for you girls to say but I, uh…"

Willow pondered something for a moment, then said, "Okay. Just me and Buffy tonight then," turning back to Buffy as she went on. "So anyway, Buffy and I…"

"Okay, okay! I'll do it, but can I just watch you guys for a moment?" Xander said quickly.

Willow and Buffy looked at each other skeptically.

After a moment of silence, Willow continued to Buffy, "This might strengthen our friendship…"

Buffy gave Willow a wide smile. "I know! I mean we really haven't spent much time together since you came, right?" She looked over at Xander, who had taken a seat on the bed during her dance with Willow.

"You know that conversation we were having about that woman Xander talked to…" Willow started.

"Yeah, the Emperor's wife. She said she can get me out despite what her husband wishes. Thank god. I've got a glimpse of him and I wouldn't do him if he was god himself!"

"Buffy!" Willow said, shocked by her denouncement of the Emperor.

"Have you seen him, Willow?" Buffy asked. "I mean, I like Abraham Lincoln, but I'd certainly wouldn't screw him!"

Willow shrugged and said, "Well, everyone has their taste. Anyway, let's get going." She broke away from Buffy and went over to the bed, walked towards Xander and hugged him.

Buffy followed Willow to the bed and joined them in an embrace, relishing the warmth of the both of them. "Oh, I love you guys!"

"Mmm," Xander murmured with joy as they held the embrace for several moments.

"Strip Xander," Buffy said softly.

"It's still kinda early," Xander protested mildly.

"I know, but Willow and I decided that you should go first," Buffy explained. "Majority rules."

"How about we strip him ourselves?" Willow asked with an excited smile.

Buffy got a twinkle in her eye and smiled seductively at Xander as she met Willow's gaze. "Yeah, why are we waiting when both of us can beat him to pieces right now!" she commented.

"Girls, I take it back. I can do it myself," Xander said as Willow tilted her head towards Xander grinning. Xander looked back and forth between Buffy and Willow.

"Mmm hmm," Willow said. Turning to the blonde, she explained, "Since you are his girlfriend, you can decide what you want to do with him. I really want to kiss him but if you want to…"

Buffy was bouncing on her feet, clearly excited about her power. "Ooh! Can I kiss all over his body?" she asked eagerly.

"Okay, we can do that!" Willow admonished. "But make sure we take turns."

"Oh! I'm so excited!" Buffy gushed in a breathy, little-girl voice.

"Me too," Xander said.

To their astonishment, Xander threw himself out of his customary white toga and kicked them away from him. Willow's eyes were drawn to his erection, red and thick between his legs. It bobbed slightly as he shifted nervously on the bed.

"Wow, you've got nice muscles," Willow said to Xander.

Buffy realized that Willow had snuck behind her while she was also staring at Xander. Willow walked her fingers along Buffy's spine across her shoulder and down the slope of her breast. As Willow ran her hands across Buffy's breast, Buffy easily drew herself out of her toga and dropped it to the floor.

Willow toyed with taking out her own toga and eventually did. She had white underwear on and she took them out and tossed them to the floor.

Buffy was nice to look at naked, Willow admitted to herself. She was tanned and firm with small breasts and a patch of hair between her legs that Willow so much wanted to taste. Willow supposed Xander was nice to look at to, with a smooth curve along his spine and gently surging muscles. But Buffy was attractive in a more familiar way; particularly because she was a woman.

All of the muscles in Buffy's body tensed. She was appreciating what Willow was doing by fondling her but she felt too numb to move or do anything.

Willow seemed to notice Buffy's tension. Her fingers went from tracing circles around Buffy's nipples to massaging her shoulders, trailing back from her shoulders to the back of her neck working her fingers between the spinal column. Buffy's head dropped forward and that felt nice to Willow.

Suddenly the pleasant sensation Buffy was feeling was gone as Willow moved away. Buffy lifted her head to see Willow standing right in front of her. She could feel heat pool in every place where her body met Willow's, at the middle of her thighs, belly, and breasts.

Willow leaned forward and straddled Buffy's lap as she had done before, her tongue moistened Buffy's lips, her arms settling on Buffy's spine, her fingers searching lower and lower. Willow deepened the kiss; her tongue making it an effort to touch as many teeth of Buffy's as possible. As Willow's tongue pushed into Buffy's mouth her hands pushed against Buffy's stomach and breast, forcing Buffy back against the bed until the back of her legs hit the end of the bed and she half-fell onto the bed.

The slight dip in the bed next to her reminded Buffy of Xander's presence, something she all but lost during Willow's assault on her nerves. Willow was braced over Buffy, kissing down her throat and moving across her collarbone with sweeping strokes of her tongue while her quick fingers moved down and caressed her vagina. Buffy turned her head to face Xander; he was lying on his side facing them. He was smiling happily as beads of sweat dripped from his forehead and parts of his brown hair flopped forward over his face.

"Seems like you're enjoying this far too much," Buffy panted to Xander.

"I am." Xander's pretty brown eyes drifted nearer to her as he moved in for a kiss.

Xander's lips brushed hers gently, timidly, as if he was nervous about if he was supposed to be joining in at that moment. Buffy tried to shift slightly under Willow's weight so that she was in a better position for kissing Xander. She tilted her head to the right, pushing towards Xander and opening her mouth, slightly sliding her tongue against Xander's lips. Xander was a good kisser, Buffy knew, gentle and precise. Buffy was surprised at how soft Xander's mouth was, feeling it rub against her mouth and chin. She couldn't help wondering what that mouth would feel like doing what Willow was doing now. Willow had sipped and licked her way down Buffy's body and was currently crouching between Buffy's thighs, running her tongue in small cat-like motions over Buffy's clit, causing Buffy to whimper into Xander's mouth.

Xander's mouth was warm and pleasant for Buffy. She arched into Xander's hands that caressed her breasts.

She wasn't sure how many fingers Willow was curling inside her. She was estimating about three or four but was soon overtaken by the pleasurable sensations. Her hips bucked outwards against Willow and her climatic cry echoed into Xander's throat.

Buffy shivered as the post-orgasmic warmth went away from her body. She attempted to scoot backwards suddenly mortified that Willow was between her open legs. The sheets on the bed moved with her as she shot backwards and squeezed her thighs together. Her blood, which had been deployed to her lower portions of her body rushed to her face and she blushed brightly. She hung her head and her sweat dampened blonde hair bunched around her face. Buffy gave a sideways look at Xander, but he was looking past her at Willow.

Buffy drew her knees towards her chin, allowing Willow to crawl past her. Xander and Willow kissed the way that Xander had kissed her many times before. This was completely different from the way Xander had kissed her herself. This one was open mouthed and passionate. He pulled Willow near him and rolled so she was lying under him, legs wrapped around his waist, her heels digging into his ass. There was a distance of messy sheets between them from where Buffy was sitting, Willow's legs pulled outwards against Buffy's chest.

Xander's hips nudged forward and Willow moaned. Buffy turned away, feeling awkward at witnessing this moment of intimacy. She began looking over the bed, searching for her abandoned toga. She'd just spotted them when she heard Xander cry out, "Oh, damn. Buffy, I'm sorry."

Buffy surrendered her quest to retrieve her toga and turned to see what could have made Xander sound so distressed. Xander was lying over Willow, her legs still wrapped over him, but they were no longer thrusting against each other. Xander was very still and covered in a light luster of sweat, his forehead pressed against Willow's and he was still apologizing. "I'm sorry, really sorry, Buffy." Xander pulled back from Willow.

Sitting between Buffy and Willow, Xander seemed nervous under their fiery gazes. He settled his eyes on Buffy, "I'm sorry, Buffy. I know it must have made you a little uneasy and I apologize for that," he turned to Willow. "Not to you, of course."

"It's okay, Xander. I'm sure Buffy understands," Willow said, patting Xander on the shoulder in a comforting manner. She then leaned forward and kissed Xander on the cheek. "That was good enough for me, Xander. It seems that it would be better if you watched." She turned to address Buffy. "Poor boy just wanted to fuck me that's all. He saw two extremely attractive girls and you happened to be… incapacitated. You know how it is…"

"I'm sorry, guys. It was just too weird seeing Xander with another woman…"

Willow grinned from ear to ear and whacked Xander lightly on the shoulder. "Xander, you're cheating on her!"

Xander frowned. Even though Willow was joking, he knew that he had already done so for real and immediately felt guilty.

"I'm the one who should be sorry…"

"It's okay, Buffy. We'll make sure he's not with another woman." Willow got to her knees and leaned past Xander, grasping Buffy by her forearms and pulling Buffy towards her own knees. Their bodies were entwined with each other with their legs wrapped around each other's hips. "I bet he prefers to watch anyway." Willow fell backwards, pulling Buffy down with her.

Buffy found herself sprawled half over Xander, with their legs tangled together and half over on Willow kissing her while her hands attempted to work between their compressed bodies.

Willow was certainly not as romantic as Xander. They weren't kissing for more than thirty seconds before Willow's palms were on Buffy's shoulders forcing her downwards. Buffy's way of doing things was do lots of foreplay but Willow's hands forcing her down left little room for that. Willow cast her legs over Buffy's shoulders.

Buffy moved her hands until they were caressing the inside of Willow's thighs.

Willow moaned and bucked her hips towards Buffy's mouth. Buffy leaned in for a tentative lick and pulled back and grinned, blushing at the amount of wetness she found. Willow's fingers tangled with Buffy's hair and pulled it down, forcing her mouth towards her hips.

Buffy pressed her tongue into Willow's wetness, deliberately moving around Willow's clit at first. Willow's fingers tugging on her hair changed this. Buffy swept her tongue along Willow's clit in one strong stroke, almost choking with surprise at all the hair that was in her mouth. She pulled back, looking at Willow's face for an explanation for all the hair.

"Like I've done something wrong," Willow pouted.

"Wow," Xander commented. Buffy had issues seeing Xander through the tangle of limbs, but the warmth of his breath along her shoulder told Buffy that he was nearby, probably watching their sex with great interest. "This is better than actually being involved."

Buffy chuckled. Her joy ended when Willow jabbed her heel sharply into the

back of her head. Buffy licked Willow's clit with great care. She was briefly concerned about catching a mouthful of hair in her mouth, but her concerns were cut short as Willow's hands in her hair urged hr on and Willow's moans reached her ears. Buffy moved her tongue with increasing speed and moved her hands around

Willow's hip, dragging her fingernails over her skin.

Before Buffy could go any further, Willow bucked her hips wildly and cried out Buffy's name that all of them was fairly sure would garner the attention of the other roommates.

"Oh, god, Buffy, please, I'm done." Willow said, tapping Buffy on the shoulder.

"Um… okay…" Buffy said, sliding backwards, slightly surprised that Willow had abruptly ended it. But she soon realized that Willow had been overwhelmed with an orgasm that probably was initiated when she was with Xander.

Buffy was lying sprawled half over Xander for the last while and as she attempted to move back across him her hip connected with something stiff.

Her head snapped down, and her eyes were fixed on where his erection met her hip. "Oops… sorry, Xander," she said, smiling.

Before Buffy could grasp Xander's erection, Willow took Buffy's hand in her own, lacing their fingers together. Willow then guided both their hands to wrap around Xander's erection. He moaned and his eyes were directed solely on the two women's joined hands. Willow guided Buffy's stroke. Surprisingly for both of them it wasn't unpleasant to touch, although Buffy did find it slightly disconcerting the way it twitched seemingly whenever Willow's hands grazed it.

Buffy was mesmerized by the sight of Xander's cock. She was even more enchanted when Willow dipped her head and her tongue darted out to lick his shaft. Buffy moved her hand away, her wet fingers catching Willow's mouth. Unlike what she had done earlier, Buffy did not bolt at the sight of Xander sharing an intimate moment with Willow.

Xander's hands fisted tightly in the messy sheets and he collapsed back onto the bed. Buffy dragged her eyes away from the sight of Willow's head moving in and out and made a move to lie next to Xander. His breathing was uneven and there was a bead of sweat making it's way down his face. Buffy was overcome with the impulse to lick it away, but instead she chose to trace her tongue over his lips. His arm grasped the back of her neck, pulling her down into the kiss.

Their second shared kiss was nothing like the first, this kiss was

open-mouthed and sloppy, his tongue searched out her own. His mouth then

slipped away from Buffy's and he kissed all over her face, settling on her chin, and then going further down, leaving a wet trail down her neck. He finally reached her breasts with great enthusiasm, sucking and biting at every piece of flesh he could reach.

Suddenly he bit down roughly on the underside of her breast, and Buffy was torn between wrenching away, squirming near to him and screaming so she settled for squirming on the spot and rubbing her thighs together.

Xander gently kissed her on the lips, almost as a finale. "Damn, Buffy. You are so fine." Buffy would have blushed if she had the blood available.

They both looked down when Willow failed to comment. She then popped out from Xander's lap, her cheeks puffed out like a blowfish. She then gave them a look as if they should wait. After a moment, she leaned over the bed and made a mock spat on the floor.

"Ugh, Xander, yuck," Willow said jokingly. Both Buffy and Xander looked at her blankly and seriously, before realizing that Willow was joking. Willow sighed in relief when she noticed that they had gotten her joke. They all burst out into laughter. After a moment of happiness together, Willow glanced at Buffy, then at Xander. "Can I get another go?"

Flushed and panting, Xander said simply, "Sure."

Buffy barely managed to wait before lunging forward and kissing Xander passionately as Willow moved forward and drove her face back down towards the lower parts of Xander.


	33. Touching Truth

Chronicles of a Roman Emperor

Chapter 33

Tarquin rode his stallion towards the Imperial Palace. Not too far away a group of women danced around at least twenty men, who sang loudly. Seen in front of the background of purple and sea green murk, with crimson torchlight flaring on the waters and the moon descending behind trees beyond, they looked mystically beautiful; seeming not to be a part of this earth.

"Ride through these folk!" Tarquin urged, pointing. "Go! Bring the men!"

Tarquin kicked his horse along its back as if he wanted to race over the people. Until then he had went towards the Imperial Palace, accompanied by the Praetorian Guard with stealth; he had preferred them to take their own precautions, form their own plans and subject themselves to any course they wished, after which he should be free to attack the Emperor and kill him without feeling too handicapped by his men to do so. He had not even issued a great speech to his men. That was expected. It was the news that Severus was disbanding the Praetorian Guard all together that made them eager to seek one last stand of violence. He accepted their loyalty with a weak smile and had led them through the streets of Rome without any incident.

Now Tarquin drove his heels into his stallion with force, for the die had already been cast. The stallion, impatient of being steady the whole trip, reared and plunged, snorted, stepped back, and bolted straight towards the group of people, who scattered away, men spouting vulgar language, women screaming.

Throwing his weight back against the reins, he brought his stallion to a wheeling halt in the midst of the men and women. His horse blew clouds of mist from its nostrils, further frightening and dispersing the men and women from the scene. As they ran, Tarquin let his horse rush forward at a man swearing at them, ran over him, his body rolling under the horses' hoofs, and he made his horse be still. The man's blood from being ran over spilled out from under the horse and seeming to flow out of his neck. One woman watched in terror, groped for any belongings that were on the ground, screamed and ran.

"Praetorian Guard!" she yelled. "Praetorian Guard is here!"

Tarquin jumped down from his horse among the fleeing men and women. Presently his second in command Macrinus came, hurrying out of the mist from behind, accompanied by Cassius, one of his best friends who had brought him the early news that the Emperor planned to bring men to disband them. They were brandishing swords and racing towards the mass of people in front of the opened gates to the Imperial Palace. They sliced through a few women and a man exactly where Tarquin had jumped from his horse. There was a sickening cry as a woman fell right in front of Tarquin, her face a bloody mess. Then came out from the open gate a hurrying figure led a group of people, presumably the Emperor's bodyguard, towards them.

Tarquin stood still as his dozen or so men ran in front of him and entangled themselves with the Emperor's bodyguard. Then he crept through the running men and women and walked towards the opened gate of the Imperial Palace in no haste, masking his face with a fold of his cloak. He chose a path that wound through the gate and into a maze of bushes, where marble statues of former Emperors shined in the moonlight. He had to dodge crying men and women here and there. A woman followed him, and placed a hand on his arm; he turned and decapitated her with one swing of his sword, and her severed head bounced on the marble floor, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

As he reached the snaky road that he knew led to the Emperor's chambers, with the glum faces of previous Emperors staring at him on both sides, and beyond that the glow of lights from several rooms; he felt safe. No one followed him and all he could hear was the clanging of swords and screams of help from back at the front of the gate.

"Caesar and his family are dead," he said and passed along the statues of former Emperors. He knew that Severus would be one of those statues soon enough. No matter what he was determined that whatever protection Severus and his family had, it would not be enough.

Willow looked around Buffy and Xander's bedroom to check to see if she hadn't left any stray items or clothes lying around but she hadn't. All of her clothes were on. Her hair was neat and her face was clean. She was going to have to leave them alone. She had heard Dawn crying across the room and knew that she had to go comfort her.

Just as she was about to cross through the curtains that surrounded the bedroom, she saw that Xander and Buffy were still in bed. For that moment, Buffy was snuggled against Xander's chest, kissing him softly on the lips.

Willow cleared her throat and they both looked at her. Buffy smiled, and Xander looked a combination of embarrassed and confused, very much missing Buffy's kiss.

"I'm going to go back to my bed now."

"Are you sure, Will?" Buffy asked. "You could sleep with us." She patted an open spot on the bed next to her.

"Yes!" Xander added. "You can sleep between us."

"No, I should get back to my bed. I need to awake early so I can pack."

Willow walked through the curtains and stood out in the bright light of the room. She wondered how it was possible to feel so alone after having sex with two of her best friends. She knew it was because her best friends were a couple and she was not involved. God, she loved them.

It was beginning to pour down rain just like it did the previous night. At intervals the racket of rain on cobblestones and roofs became a fierce sea of sound. The wavering oil lanterns of lightness died out one by one and left the Imperial Palace in darkness. From a distance behind him, there was clanging of swords continuing to echo. But the loudest place was the Imperial Palace itself, where the rain slammed down on the marble. There was little light left aside from a guard house about twenty paces in front. Tarquin could see a group of soldiers shrugging themselves against the house. They appeared angry, shivering, but alert. However the conditions these soldiers were loyal to their Emperor.

A soldier stepped out suddenly from beneath an arch next to Tarquin, his lamplight gleaming in front of him. Tarquin was startled.

"Who are you?" the soldier asked.

Tarquin had his face well covered, realizing that most of the soldiers who worked for Severus would have seen his face in some shape or form. Before the soldier could make a move, Tarquin pushed him forward under the arch and out o the rain.

The soldier made a gesture with his arms to show mercy as he hit the ground. Tarquin took his sword from his arms and jammed it straight through the soldier's face, knowing it better to make sure he took away his scream than to have a chance of him cry out for help.

He quickly undressed the heavy soldier until he got his heavy imperial cloak in his hands and undressed himself. Soon he had changed into one of the Imperial customary outfits. Then he examined his surroundings.

Emperor Severus is in his palace chamber. He is sitting at his throne looking out a window down at the Roman city. He sees masses of people running away from near his palace. There is slamming of several doors and suddenly, a door opens and in comes Licinius, his personal bodyguard. Severus spins his throne around to face him. "Licinius, what is going on?"  
"Praetorian Guard, Caesar. They have taken siege of the palace. There's scores dead."

"Damn it. My family?"

His wife and his two sons are brought into the chamber, evidently startled by what was going on, by two Royal guards. Severus looks at his family with a smile then back at Licinius.

"Someone must have leaked my disbanding?"

Licinius nodded grimly. "Yes, Caesar."

"Make sure they are killed! Send my guards, by Jupiter!" He turned his attention back to his Royal guards. "Get the fuck out of here and kill those bastards!" The lead guard nodded at once, and glanced at the exit. After some screaming and blood curdling cries, the lead guard ran outside, followed by the second guard.

They stood in silence for several moments, before Severus spoke to his wife. "That was a long rendezvous, my love. I was concerned…"

Struggling to say anything after coming into the chamber due to her confusion, she managed to say, "Sorry… that man took a lot of convincing…"

"But he complies with my decision? Because I will make damn sure Xander dies before I do, even if it is tonight!" The mention of Xander's name sent a pleasant chill down Julia's spine.

"He did, honey."

"Really? Where is Xander now? We might need his help."

"He's back at his chambers. You should give him a break. He's done enough for you." Julia turned her head towards Licinius. "Make sure you leave him alone tonight."

Licinius broke from his silence. "It is out of my hands, my dear."

Tears form in Julia's eyes. "He's seen enough violence and death."

Severus sighed. "All soldiers have. Enough of this. Licinius, go tell Xander to come out and help us! As far as I'm concerned, his exile starts tomorrow morning!" Licinius looks at Severus, then at Julia, and leaves.

Julia approached her husband. "How dare you! You have enough guards in this palace to easily kill them all. Why get him involved?"

"If he gets killed, then it will save me the trouble of putting him into exile."

Julia frowned, her jaw dropped in shock. "You're despicable, you know that?" The door opens and the lead guard that had left moments before came in, an arrow sticking out of his chest.

Severus turned his attention back to the lead guard. "Fuck, they have arrows!"

Xander awoke and was confused, disoriented. Xander saw his room bathed in lamplight. He sat in the middle of his bed and saw Buffy sitting at the edge of the bed. She was staring at him. Xander was naked and felt embarrassed. "You okay?" he asked her.

"Are you, Xand?"

Xander heard a catch in her voice, so he grabbed the sheets and wrapped it around himself, crossed the bed and sat beside Buffy. He could see she was crying. "What's wrong?" Xander immediately felt like he had disappointed her, that he had done something wrong.

"Are you sorry about what we did?" Buffy asked.

"Are you, Buff?"

Buffy smoothed her blonde hair. "No. But I heard Dawn… she was crying…"

Relief flooded through Xander, but guilt also ran through him. Even though Dawn was an adult, he still looked at her as an innocent teenager. Dawn was aware of what they had done and he was sure it wasn't something easy to tolerate. "Oh she was? Poor Dawn."

"I-I need to apologize to her."

"Me too. I mean, it was in my control what we did. I could've decided not to do this, but I didn't." Xander's head was spinning because after Willow had left, he and Buffy had done a lot more than kissing. The time he fell backwards when Buffy startled him back at his apartment came back to him, at how insecure and inadequate he had felt then. He knew he didn't feel inadequate now. He had felt power when he and Buffy were alone in bed, with Buffy moving and moaning.

"Did I make you happy?" Buffy asked.

"Happy? I would say ecstatic."

"Like when you were with Brittany and other women?"

"There have been others, yeah." Xander said, but turned away from her. Vivid pictures of him fucking Julia ran through him. "But you are the best by far."

Buffy stared at him for a long time before stating, "I've been with a lot of men too, but I am sure enough to say you are one of my best, too."

"Well, you've also been with a lot of vampires. They've had plenty of practice."

Buffy lowered her head, and her hair falls like a veil around her face. "You don't feel any ill will towards me for what I've done, do you?"  
"No way, Buff! You're beautiful and I wanted this to happen more than anything."

Buffy looked at him as she lifted her head. "You sure?"

"And… I would like for it to happen again."

Buffy had been having her hands in her lap for the duration of their conversation, but then she reached out and cupped his face. "With me… No more Willow. I love Willow but the more we do this, the more she might start to like me… or even you."  
"And there's something wrong with that? Buffy… I've known Willow since I was a kid. I know exactly how she feels. If she feels that this is her best way to be with us, so be it."

"I hope there is another way for her to be with us than fucking us, Xander."

Xander's heart was thumping. How could he convince her otherwise? "We can find another way."

Buffy sighed. "We can just chit chat and talk."

"It's not like before," Xander said. He knew things weren't just like they were. Willow had not been through what he and Buffy had been through and there was a disconnect between their experiences and Willow's. It would not be like old times. "We went through experiences that Willow cannot relate to. We are different people, now, Buffy. As much as I love Willow, talking to her about what happened to us is fine but it doesn't make our friendship stronger."

Buffy smiled, leaned forward and kissed him lightly. "Well, for now, we'd better just get ready to go to Egypt and possibly later down the road we could do this again. Is that cool with you?"

Xander swayed forward on his knees, catching her hands with his own. "It's cool. We should get packing."

Buffy scanned him. "Maybe this exile is what's best for us."

"I wouldn't disagree. This place is hell."

She stood and so did Xander. She hugged him and he could feel his heart race. "Not for me it is. It feels like heaven with you here, Xander."

Xander smiled at her as they broke apart.

When they broke their hug, they saw a young man in a long brown robe, surrounded by the lamplight. A moment later, Xander realized who this man was that was standing in front of them.

"Licinius? What are you doing here?" Xander asked.

Licinius looked at Xander with a grave look on his face. "I'm here because we need your help. The Praetorian Guard has invaded the palace. There are many people dying, including the Emperor's guard."

Xander was stunned. "You need help again? I already killed the leader of the Praetorian Guard. What more do you want me to do?""  
Licinius went cold and his face paled. "I am Caesar's personal bodyguard and best friend. I can convince him to kill you if you fail to go out and protect this palace!"

Xander frowned. "Tell your Emperor and best friend to go fuck himself."

Buffy grabbed Xander by the shoulders and stared deep into his eyes. "Xander… I'll go with you. We can do this."

Xander sighed as he turned to look at Buffy. "I have nothing against those men who are attacking here. It was those men on Cimberius' list. Their affair here does not involve me."

"The hell it doesn't!" Licinius spat. "They are here because of you. Go out there!"

Xander knelt to the floor and began to grab weapons that he was going to need. Buffy knelt as well and took some of Xander's weapons.

"Buffy and I will go…" Xander started as he grasped a strong sword in his hand. With his other hand he grabbed Licinius by the hair. "And so will you. You are his bodyguard aren't you?"

Licinius began to sweat nervously. "Yes, but I'm just delivering a message. Caesar just sent me to send you a message…"

"Well we're going to send you to come with us!" Xander said as he relinquished his grip on Licinius' hair and took a sword from the floor and shoved it into Licinius' hands. "It makes little sense to protect the Emperor without protecting the palace."


	34. A Series of Unfortunate Events

Chronicles of a Roman Emperor

Chapter 34: A Series of Unfortunate Events

Tarquin settled behind the guard house and searched for the Emperor's chambers he was supposed to have found by now. Maybe asking a guardsman could help him.

A single ray of warm lantern light pierced through one of the windows of the guard house. Curling up against one of the walls in a corner, breathing in the scent of rain and stone, felt oddly peaceful.

"Fucking Praetorian," one of the guards said, approaching the illumination of the oil lantern. All other lanterns across the Palace had faded to darkness and a sole lantern encompassing the guard house remained. "Do you feel like we should go out there and kill those sons of bitches?"

Tarquin blinked. Whatever it was, the guardsman sounded brutish and huge.

"Let the other guardsman take care of it." When the guardsman who had asked him the question gave him a strange look, he added, "You can go out there if you'd like. As long as the Emperor is fine, we are doing our job right."

"Hey, do you know where Clodius went?" the guardsman asked further.

The other guardsman shrugged. "Probably going to the front gates."

"I'll go check it out," the brutish-sounding guardsman said before the other guardsman could speak. "So you're going to stay here with the others?"

"With the emperor, yes."

"Okay… I'll be back!"

When the brutish-sounding guardman walked pass the small guardhouse in front and away of Tarquin, his shred of nervousness slipped away. He wasn't planning on killing any more men but the Emperor, but he couldn't be sure. Before he could decide whether to approach the Emperor or wait a few more minutes, the other guardsman walked around the corner of the guardhouse and spotted Tarquin kneeling in a dark corner against the side wall. He took in Tarquin's clothing, but didn't comment. Neither that nor the grave look on his face boded well for him, Tarquin figured. Just as Tarquin was about to pull out his sword, the guardsman walked away and opened the door to enter into the guardhouse.

"Fucking pussy," Tarquin overheard the guardsman mumble from inside the guardhouse.

Tarquin's heart kicked into gear. He knew that since the lantern had not passed into the dark corner he was sitting that the guardsman must have thought he was Clodius.

He knew there was a few other guardsmen outside of the guardhouse. If he had any chance of getting past them, he had to conceal his face in the dark since he knew the guardsman all knew each other.

He could see four guards lining the Emperor's chambers as he walked out of the corner of the guardhouse and into the light. He quickly walked forward out of the light, feeling his heart lurch at the sight of them, his hand clutching tightly to his sword sweathed at his side as he entered the darkness.

It wasn't so much men guarding an Emperor as it was a social gathering. The four men were together in front of the chambers, a tall dark-haired man with an enormous physical presence standing at the end; obviously he had to avoid him. Tarquin was sure that he could take the rest of the men if needed be and dismissed any of them as being a threat. Regardless, being on cordial terms with them was a necessity since angering the man on the far right could deem disaster.

He turned coolly to meet the four men's gazes, tensing as their talking abruptly ended.

"Who's there?" one of the guardsman asked.

"Clodius," he said in a huff voice, imitating the voice he had heard from the real Clodius before he had killed him.

The men's tense glares ended and they looked away, although Tarquin sensed he knew one of them could be suspicious.

Tarquin nodded at them, keeping his gaze averted from the rest of the guards gathered at the door to the chambers. Tarquin anticipated one of the men would ask him why he was going to see the Emperor so he announced huskly, "I got news to deliver to the Emperor."

"Of course," one guard nodded, as if he didn't care who it was.

The drive to the front door just inches away was made in silence, his walking deliberate and calm. And as he knew the rest of the guards were openly watching him, he gave them a quick look that clearly told them he was not hiding anything by avoiding eye contact. Surprised that they had not realized it was a fake, Tarquin turned sharply and opened the door to the chambers.

He hardly held the door open before it was impeded by a heavy presence, however. Tarquin had to squeeze in past the heavy bulk; he heard a woman cry out and he turned to see her white as a sheet with her hand to her face.

"Severus, who's that?!" Julia cried.

"What have we here?" Severus asked, immediately recognizing the face of a Praetorian guardsman dressed in an imperial bodyguard uniform.

"Tarquin of the Praetorian Guard," said the man who glanced at the man who had impeded the entrance. It was a dead imperial guardsman with an arrow sticking out of his chest. He closed the door, as much to silence any noise that could alert the men outside that trouble was looming.

"Tarquin," Julia said, hearing her voice shake; she swallowed and tried again. "Sir, please do not harm my family."

Tarquin laughed nastily. "Why should I let you go? You're implicated in this treachery as much as your husband!"

Julia cursed to herself. She knew she needed to bargain quickly with the man since she knew her husband would not. "Sir, respectfully, sir, we can solve this issue with diplomacy."

"Diplomacy? Is that what you call it now? Didn't show much diplomacy with Pulcher and my men." Tarquin approached Julia, who was standing in front of her children and to the side of the Emperor, who was seated. He reached over to his side and pulled out his sword; she cried out, and reached to snatch her kids away further to the back of the chambers, but Severus caught her hand. "Calm down, Julia," Severus whispered, still shell-shocked, holding his wife's hands tightly in his own. "I'll handle this. He's not going to bargain with us."

Julia wanted to compromise with Tarquin, but she saw the look in the guardsman's eyes, and she knew her husband was right.

"Oh, how I'd love to kill a Praetorian guardsman," Severus drawled, and reached down at his side as he stood and sheathed out a sword attached to the ground beside his throne.

Julia shuddered, focusing on Severus' right hand as he dragged his fingertips along her cheekbone and around half her face.

"I love you, dear," Julia whispered, belly cold, mouth going dry. "If you die, I'll meet you in the afterlife."

Severus laughed, and pinched her cheek hard, and pulled his hand back. "Let my family get out of the chambers," he said over his shoulder to Tarquin, who strode back around a table towards the throne.

"Fine," Tarquin said calmly. After a few moments, he realized that by letting his family go out of the door he came in, it would alert guardsman to come in and outnumber him. Quickly, he added, "Out the window to your right."

Severus strapped on his sword-belt and checked his sword. He glanced at Julia and shrugged. "Nothing we can do now. I have to do this."

Julia had to swallow against the lump in her throat. "Caesar, Caesar," she heard herself whimpering, as she sank to her knees and pressed her face against his legs. He knelt down and reached through to touch her hair as he kissed her desperately, his lips rough and chapped and so welcome for Julia. "Oh, what about the children?"  
"That's enough," Tarquin said. He stood over them; Julia flung herself in between Tarquin and Severus and opened her mouth to plead for more time but Severus was already bringing his sword to the air. "Come on, you tyrant!" Tarquin said impatiently, as Severus backed away to give he and Tarquin some space.

Julia stood her ground stubbornly, glaring at Tarquin until she saw him move his sword towards her. Then she moved, but she turned as she did, crying, "I'll be waiting for you, honey. I love you!" She hustled her kids out towards the wide window to her right.

Tarquin laughed. "Wow, it seems like you are accepting defeat and death," he said as he walked intently around Severus. "This can go easy or this can go hard. Why not have it easy? You know you are not in battle condition for me. Just get on your knees and this can be done."

Tarquin stepped forward again, and Severus felt himself shaking, not knowing what to do, wanting to be gone from there. Tarquin was right. He had not been in hand to hand combat for months. But there was no way out, no way he could run or leave, no way to see Julia again or his children, until he got rid of Tarquin.

"Just so you know," Severus heard himself say. "Even if you kill me the Praetorian Guard is finished. You are finished."

Tarquin watched as Julia and her two children crawled out of the window and glanced at Severus, grinning ear to ear. "Even if I don't, I am finished. So why not kill the most powerful man in the world?"

"You want revenge, not glory," Severus replied, and he pressed the sword in the air towards the direction of Tarquin.

"I want both. Like Achilles!" Tarquin yelled as he swung his sword.

Xander and Buffy made their way to the front gates where they expected a mass of Praetorian guardsmen clashing with palace guards. While they were all frustrated about what they were suddenly asked to do, Licinius was the only one bitching about it. He had spent the last few minutes just whining continuously about how being the Emperor's personal bodyguard gave him special exemption from being in harm's way. Xander had quickly discovered that making Licinius angry seemed to give him and Buffy more energy to use against the incoming Praetorian. So he kept making jokes about how small and weak Licinius appeared that always seemed to involve him intentionally going slow so he could look all over Licinius to reiterate his point. The threesome arrived at the edge of a very small shallow pond; the pond was located in a small trench that was about 4 feet deep. It was here that they found at least a hundred of men and women frantically rushing into the palace and towards them.

"Guess we reached the party," Xander said as the three of them watched in amusement.

"Let's go guys! Charge!" Licinius barked as he jumped onto the bank, came up short, and feel backward. Xander and Buffy laughed openly and went down to the edge. What made the situation even funnier was that the pond was just 5 feet from one end to the other.

"Come on, now," Xander said laughing. "We didn't come out for a swim." He jumped across the pond. "Wow that was easy." He jumped back over. "Very easy." He jumped again. "This is kinda fun." He then proceeded to jump into the water, straightening Licinius to his feet.

Licinius roared and lunged at Xander, who jumped out of his way. In his rage Licinius finally succeeded in getting out, and he chased after Xander yelling, "When I tell the Emperor of this, you're a dead man!"

"Quit it, Licinius. You're going to need your energy," Buffy said catching hold of Licinius.

"Ah… you're right," Licinius said, and the three of them set off into the mess scores of people ran away from. It was well past a minute before any of them spoke, they couldn't help but be considering the silence besides their oncoming battle. Something seemed off after that minute, but none of them could quite put their fingers on just what it was. It just seemed like they were going in circles in the palace and there was no sign of the Praetorian guardsmen. They all felt dizzy, disoriented, and the few lights that had shown through the trees of the palace seemed brighter than usual. They finally stopped in a small clearing and Xander tried to get a hold of himself. But try as he might he just couldn't.

"Well Xander," Licinius said irritably. "Where the fuck are the Praetorian?"

"Can it, ass kisser," Xander snapped back. "I'm doing my best to figure that one out."

That's when Buffy heard loud noises ahead of them. It sounded like swords clashing together, but unlike any Buffy had ever heard. It made a sound that was like a cross between a blade striking blade and blade striking stone. As it got closer she realized that it had to be the battle they had not yet found. Buffy stood transfixed listening closely. The group of men suddenly came out of the corner of the palace, rounded a few trees, ran over to a clearing, and while they battled, a few men stared at Buffy. The men had looks of burning hate in their eyes.

"Xander, here they are!" Buffy yelled.

"Huh," Xander whipped around to look at what Buffy was talking about. "Well, Licinius, looks like we found them."

"How should we go about doing this Xander?" Buffy asked curiously.

Xander was about to reply but turned around and Licinius was gone. "That son of a bitch."

"Come on Xander, we don't need him," Buffy said. As they walked forward, they became aware that the Praetorian was being driven back by the Imperial guardsmen straight towards them. Xander led the way about 20 feet in front of the battle, rounding some trees and stepping into a clearing. There he saw about six men in big Praetorian guard armor swinging their swords in disarray, being pushed back by at least double their numbers of Imperial guardsmen who seemed to be having their way with the men.

"It seems like the Emperor's men got this one covered," Xander said.

"You say we should leave?" Buffy asked hesistantly as the men came within 10 feet from them.

Xander pointed into the empty clearing past the men; he lowered his arm and stared. "I thought I just saw…" Xander shook his head a few times and he grabbed Buffy's arm and they ran back and around the battling men and towards a grassy hill. When they reached the small hill, they looked straight ahead and saw what appeared to be the Emperor sword fighting with another man. It could be seen through a large window located on the side of the chambers. There were four guardsmen walking aimlessly outside the chambers, oblivious to what they were seeing. They could see what appeared to be thirty civilians without weapons immersed around the palace, but not enough immersion for them to be hindered a clear view of what was going on. There were a few dead bodies and about a few dozen wounded people scattered about the streets.

"Is that what I think it is?" Buffy asked, turning to Xander.

"Yes," Xander said.

Before they could say anymore a frightened man came running out of the woods behind them, followed by a Praetorian guardsman.

"You imperial scum!" the Praetorian guardsman yelled as he chased after what appeared to be Licinius.

Buffy and Xander stared at each other, and after a few moments of silence Xander and Buffy raced after the Praetorian guardsman and Licinius. As they approached the Praetorian from behind who was chasing Licinius, they couldn't help ignore the feeling of foreboding that was creeping up inside of them.

Tarquin and Severus stood, facing each other. Oblivious to the screams heard outside from wounded men and women, they were having their own private duel. A cloud was currently obscuring the sky, casting shadows through the windows. The sound of steel clashing against steel announced another round of their duel.

With a grace of a trained swordsman, Tarquin charged with his blade high- a curved broad blade- as Severus remained motionless. At the last possible minute, steel met steel when Severus blocked the two-handed slash with his own sword, a lengthy, thin-bladed sword.

Tarquin held the blade with one hand, as his glowing blue gaze pierced the shadows covering them.

Severus stared at his opponent with a passive look on his face. "You come into my palace," he pushed Tarquin with all his strength through his sword. "Threaten my family…"

With a growl, Tarquin rushed the Emperor. Just as he was nearing Severus, his opponent ducked to his side, out of his path.

Just as he was about to turn to his right, he heard a grunt, and immediately pivoted around and brought his sword up, narrowly managing to deflect the blow that was aimed at his face. The two fighters stepped back, and prepared for the next battle.

Severus put both his hands on the butt of the sword, facing forward. It was the traditional legion-man's position. Tarquin, however, turned sideways, with only one hand on the sword; the position of a trained swordsman in fencing.

There was a pause, and then the two began to fight again. Tarquin lunged straight at his opponent, his sword aimed towards the face of Severus. Severus raised his sword and batted the curved Praetorian's sword to the side. He attempted to swing his sword, now pinning Tarquin's sword to the ground, into his shadowy foe's face, but the quick Tarquin managed to twist to his side and duck under the blow. He was however, sliced in the ear by the thin-bladed sword.

Tarquin quickly recovered from the blow. He pulled back his sword and stabbed, once again aiming at Severus' face. Severus managed to duck straight down. He rolled under the sword, and quickly got to his feet, hoping to catch Tarquin in the back. But Tarquin was nowhere to be found. Before Severus had any time to react, Tarquin sliced his right arm from behind. Severus cried out in pain.

However, Severus was lucky; though he was right-handed, his extended military experience had got him accustomed to using a sword effectively with both hands. He turned backwards, swinging his sword behind him. The blade caught Tarquin in the ribcage. However, because of the lack of force behind the blow, Tarquin was just hit with the flat of the sword, so he merely had the wind knocked out of him. Tarquin staggered back. He barely had enough time to bring his sword up to block Severus' swipe that came down on him.

The two fought with every ounce of strength they had left. It was odd; the two were the exact opposite in fighting. One was thoroughly trained but with little fighting experience and looked stylish and majestic, while the other was a hardened war veteran who had learned all of his skills through hand-to-hand combat.

Severus swiped to the left and the force of the blow knocked Tarquin's sword to the side. He sliced upward, but Tarquin managed to block again. However, the force of the blow was so great that he was unable to bring his sword back down in time to keep the Emperor from shoving his sword in the Praetorian guard's chest.

Tarquin let out a gasp as he felt his life energy quickly slipping from him. The two were so close to each other that Tarquin was able to put his hand on Severus' shoulder in an attempt to support himself. His grip failed, however, and he fell backwards, the sword being yanked from his body as he fell.

With his last breath, Tarquin said one thing. "I did this for Rome…" He then faded from existence.

Severus looked down at his deceased foe and shook his head. "You did it for Pulcher." Tired from an extended sword fight, Severus wiped away the sweat from his face, now blue with anxiety. His eyes locked onto the only way out aside from the windows his family had went out, a door on the other side of the room. Severus rushed towards it, tripping over his feet and pushing his way through a maze of chairs and tables in the dining section of the large chambers. Severus wheezed heavily, begging his lungs for more air, as he closed in on the door. The tired ruler of Rome wiped his face, missing the sweat that had gathered on his lips. New beads of sweat immediately emerged from his panting face to replace the old ones.

Bursting through the door, Licinius stopped dead in his tracks, trying to take in the grisly scene before him. A man with an arrow pierced through him lay on the ground in front of him and at the center of the room, a bloodied body. The Emperor himself stood a few feet in front of him with a left hand on a gaping wound on his right arm. His position indicated that he had been attempting to leave the room, but the rolled tables behind him seemed as evidence of his failure. Besides his right arm, his left hand was also holding a bloody sword.

"Caesar?! What have you done?!" Licinius gasped, his face a mask of horror. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Licinius knew the Emperor was capable of handling himself but he couldn't grasp the idea that Caesar would risk his own precious life in battle.

Licinius quickly realized that his pursuer would be moments away from reaching him and he slammed the door behind him. He ran right past Severus, and turned his head as he ran to watch the door break down with a force of a charging man. "Caesar, I am being chased!"

"What?" Severus quickly pulled his sword into combat position and gasped at the sight of a Praetorian guardsman stepping over the dead body of one of his guards. "By Jupiter, how many bastards must I fight?!"

Once he was far enough from harm's way, Licinius stood in shock. He had inadvertenly not realized that by running from a Praetorian guardsman towards the Emperor, he had endangered the Emperor's life as well. Even though he knew he was safe, Licinius continued to back away until he hit the far wall, sliding down his body jarred hitting the floor. It was like watching a play that the actors were acting out the final scene, and he wanted to turn away from it. It was just too strange to see it from this point of view, seeing what should happen to him happen to the Emperor of Rome.

The Praetorian guardsman wiped some sweat from his face and realized suddenly that standing a few feet in front of him was a wounded Emperor. He was suddenly paralyzed at the sensation of where he was but soon forced himself forward towards the Emperor. Severus positioned his sword up, and slashed at the oncoming Praetorian guardsman. Severus and the guardsman got into an amazing sword battle, one that Licinius could barely keep up with. Licinius was yelling at the top of his lungs as the two men slashed and hacked at each other. Severus and the man hit each of their swords away, and they leaped back. Severus charged his sword up, and the man sped towards Severus. Severus spun around on one foot, and the sword swung around with all the force he could muster with his right arm. The man jumped high in the air, and he brought his sword crashing down. Severus then angled his swing, and he still hit the man. The man landed roughly against the marble floor, and as he hit the ground he bounced slightly in the air. He had been slashed across the chest. Severus rushed the man as he fell and hit him with his sword before he could get to his feet. His dislodged sword lying a few feet away from him, the man somehow stood to his feet despite two direct wounds to his chest from Severus, and rushed forward. When he tackled Severus, Severus looped around, and hit him for the third time in the back, a stab so penetrating he was certain the man was going to be dead. As the man staggered across the floor he saw the arrow embedded into the chest of a dead Imperial guardsman. Severus, realizing his opponent was in a hopeless position, did not rush to kill his foe but watched in amusement.

"Two birds with 1 stone," Severus said under his breath, stalking the Praetorian guardsman. He turned around to watch Licinius sitting against the wall, fear evident in his eyes. He shook his head in disappointment. "After I'm through, I'm going to get a new bodyguard."

The man glanced back as he stumbled towards the dead body, watching the Emperor approach, his sword outstretched.

"I'm also going to fucking execute every last man of the Praetorian Guard!" Severus' harsh voice cried. "Oh what I will do to their families!"

Knowing he had just a moment before the Emperor would strike, he grabbed the arrow from the dead body, wrenched it free of the flesh, reversed it, and turned, stabbing it hard into the Emperor's neck. He watched dark eyes widen in pain as the Emperor recoiled in pain. Snarling angrily, the man drove the arrow further into his neck, then shoving him back, pulling the arrow out as he did so, and causing blood to spurt out onto him. The Emperor lay on his back, gasping in pain, and clutching at the bleeding wound. Smirking, the man knelt over him.

"We decide who's Emperor, fool," the man growled mockingly. "If we are displeased, they die. Pertinax, Didius Julianus… now you. I heard your declaration of disbandment of the Praetorian Guard. I am Cassius. I'm the one who told the Praetorian Guard of your intentions. Now I'm the one who killed the Emperor."

He held the arrow up, then met the Emperor's shocked gaze for a moment. Without even a twitch of his blank facial expression, he stabbed downwards, embedding the arrow in the Emperor's stomach, then twisting and jerking it upwards.

The Emperor coughed, blood speckling his lips, as his last, bubbling breath escaped him.

The man rose, snatching up the arrow as he turned towards Licinius. Licinius was on the ground, staring in horror at what he'd just seen.

"Make me Emperor, or you die," the unknown Praetorian guardsman said angrily.

Luckily for Licinius, the man was completely transfixed on his eyes, and didn't realize anyone was behind him until his neck was snapped instantly by two strong hands. He fell to the ground where he was killed. Buffy stood over him.

Licinius came to his senses when a choked wail came from Buffy, who suddenly dropped to her knees at the sight of three other dead bodies. He slowly began his way back over to Buffy. "I couldn't do anything, I was helpless you-" He didn't get to finish before Xander ran into the room, out of breath.

"Buff, you okay? Why are you on- Holy shit!" Xander yelled as his eyes moved from Buffy to the dead bodies on the floor. He knew now why Buffy was on her knees.

All three of them watched in horror at the sight of a dead Emperor, a pool of dark blood spreading out, its capillary action not seeming to subside. Neither person budged from the watching point as Severus lay lifeless on the floor. Too in shock to know what to do, too afraid to cause more harm then had already been done. Never in their worst nightmares would they expect this would happen.

Xander was sickened by the blood and wounds on the bodies, but for a moment he couldn't help to see the scene as an ornate piece of art that he would pay millions for it if it were a painting. Licinius' thin, pale, frame lay curled up on the floor. He couldn't help but notice how pathetic Licinius' appearance was and how much he had failed as the Emperor's bodyguard. It was this sight that would have ruined the art of this painting. Xander was brought out of his musings when Buffy's saddened voice filled the chambers.

"Licinius! Snap out of it! You could have done something about this! Why the hell did you let this happen?!" Buffy had torn away part of her dress away and now wiped away the blood that had covered Severus' neck. She had no idea what the hell to expect or how to cope with the loss of an Emperor. This was foreign to her. She knew that Licinius was going to be her and Xander's salvation on this incident, and inciting anger from him scared her.

"I don't know what's going on! He just fucking took an arrow from a dead man's chest and stabbed him!" Licinius knelt down and shook his head. "His kids are too young… Who the fuck is going to run this empire?! We'll have another fucking civil war!"

Xander looked at Licinius in disbelief. "You're telling me there is no one not even remotely near becoming Emperor… Not one?"

Licinius shook his head again. "No, he just became Emperor recently. He planned on ruling for a while and that he'd pass his power to his children. I don't know how to explain it. God! I saw Caesar in pain! So much suffering he went through. May the gods have mercy on his soul!"

Xander was surprised at Licinius' concern, that was the last thing he expected from him. Truth be told, he expected theatrics, he figured the inept bodyguard would come up with some reason why he had not saved the Emperor and throw one of his spoiled boy tantrums. "I'm sure they will. Don't you guys make emperors into gods after they die?"

Buffy shuttered. "That's all you've got to say, Xander? The Emperor is dead! He gave us protection! What are we going to have, now?!"

Xander threw his arms up in the air as he walked around the dead bodies sprawled out across the floor, heading towards a dead body at the center of the room. "Hell if I know! I didn't expect the Emperor to be killed. It would been helpful to at least get a warning, but no! Then at least we would have a way to get the hell out of here!" Xander knelt back down and wiped away more blood from the floor. As he wiped the blood from the floor, he recognized the face of the man in the center of the room. He had seen him once when he visited Pulcher at the Praetorian Guard camp. "Shit! This guy… I know him. He was a friend of Pulcher's."

"Well… he's dead, right?" Buffy asked from a distance.

"Dead as dead can be," Xander replied, suddenly averting his gaze away from the face of the man.

Licinius shook his head. "He was the target. At least that's how I presume he was."

Xander glanced once more at the man he recognized and then scornfully at Licinius. "Maybe he was for this guy. But the other guy… You led him right to the Emperor, you idiot! What… When a guy is chasing you and about to kill you, it didn't once occur to you that hey if I go to the Emperor he might get killed?!"

They all fell into relative silence, lost in thought and anger at the events that had just occurred. All wanted to do something to help, but not sure how to do it.

Licinius watched helplessly as Buffy stroked Severus' hair, he was sure it was just as soothing to Buffy as it would have been to Severus if he were alive. He shook his head hoping he would quit his brooding. He hated being in situations like this, it gave him too much time to ponder what to do.

"Well, Licinius… what do we do? You're the one witness." Xander pushed his hands against the ground to get to his feet so he could look at Licinius. He had appreciated the silence for a while. It had given him time to get his anger in check. Now, the quietness of the room was getting annoying. Something had to be done. The Emperor was dead.

"Sorry Xander, there's not much else I can do here…" Licinius stood up and walked over towards the door, but Buffy stood to her feet and barred him from leaving. "What are you doing?"

Buffy sighed. "You have to do something, Licinius. You said it yourself. We face another civil war."

Licinius gasped. "Oh, a civil war I said, huh? Why should I care? I know I am a dead man. I'm Caesar's personal bodyguard. I watched him get killed doing nothing!"

"Licinius, listen," Xander said, walking back over to the two. "We can vouch for you. We both know that the Emperor sent you on a mission to get me and Buffy to help the Imperial guards. So you are safe… but we need to know what Buffy and I can do…"

"We need an Emperor." Licinius whispered as he dropped his face into his hands.

Xander sighed. He knew Licinius was right, but it was a shame. He hoped that he would not be in this position. Before he had realized what he was doing he had reached out and touched Licinius on the shoulder. "I'll be the next Emperor."


	35. Hail Xander?

Chapter 35

Buffy stared at Xander, and then to the slayer's astonishment, he winked back at her.

Pure shock froze Licinius to the spot, and he watched helplessly, mouth ajar, as Xander closed the door and turned back to face him.

"I'm popular right now... So I've heard..." Xander said softly to Licinius.

"And you're okay with becoming Emperor?" Licinius asked, still in a state of shock at what he had just heard.

"It's a dangerous job, sure, but if it means keeping my friends safe, I'm all for it..." Xander said, glancing at Buffy, who was not looking at him.

Across the room, Buffy let out a breath in a silent rush, wondering what the hell Xander's motives in becoming Emperor were, and more importantly, how he would be able to protect himself or others with such a deadly occupation. Three emperors have all been murdered recently and there was no telling what would happen to Xander if he was Emperor.

Xander glanced out the window to his right and saw that it was pitch black outside. Just a little after midnight, he supposed. He'd had no idea how late it was.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to rest for a couple of minutes, he supposed. Xander sat down on one of the chairs in the room. His eyelids seemed to drag themselves of their own volition and he dozed.

After a while, the door clicked open and Xander, his mind half asleep, scrambled frantically for his sword.

"Hey! Hey, easy, it's me!" Julia stepped back, hands out to her side.

Xander stared at her for a moment, then dropped his sword, his muscles still taut and prepared for trouble. He knew what Julia was about to discover would be heartbreaking and too much for Xander to bear witness.

Julia shook her head wryly. "Will you relax?" She glanced at Buffy and Licinius who were both sitting on the blood-stained floor staring back at her, idly. "Where's my husband?" she asked with a twitch of nervousness. Her eyes caught sight of her dead husband. "Severus!" she cried out, her face contorted in pain. She began to sob as she pushed away two of the dead bodies in front of her with her feet to get to her husband. Buffy and Licinius could only watch helplessly at the scene.

Xander's eyes glazed over, but before hanging his head low he called to Julia to tell her what had happened. "He apparently killed one man but was killed by another."

The Emperor lay in a pool of his own blood, the floor already greedily lapped it almost all up. His lifeless blue eyes stared up into the air, his face frozen in a look of shock.  
"Severus!" Julia cried once more.

Xander felt numb. His body refused to move. He had over the coure of a few days have developed feelings for Julia, a tough, and beautiful girl. He took in Severus' body, a shell of its former glory, and he nearly puked.

Julia fell to her knees at Severus' side. Lifting his upper body into her lap she cradled the dead man's head to her own. Her tears fell to her face with tiny plops. Her entire being was shaking with sorrow she had never known. As she looked over his body it only became worse.

Xander had begun to sob, and Julia quickly looked up in time to see Xander covering his face in shame as tears came out through his fingers. Her own tears stopped suddenly, now she just felt empty, lost. She wanted to go over to Xander, knowing that he was crying for her, but her legs had given out. She was plastered to the ground. While Xander was absorbed in his pain, Julia managed to climb to her feet, letting go of her husband's body and letting it gently fall to the floor. Her voice rang out finally; it seemed to be void of spirit. "Xander, don't cry for me..."

Xander slowly removed his hands from his face. He looked at Julia, teary-eyed. "I'm sorry about what happened..."

Julia nodded, not capable of saying anything else without sobbing. She ran a hand through her dark brown hair, and looked down. "I knew this would happen... but not this soon..." she said in despair.

"Praetorian Guard," Xander said, shaking his head. The four fell into a long silence.

Licinius scanned the expression on Julia's face. "Julia, I'm sorry..."

Julia glared down at him hatefully. "Why weren't there any guards here to protect us?"

Buffy and Xander turned towards Licinius and also began to stare at him angrily.

"Don't make any excuses," Xander said coldly.

Licinius groaned painfully and slowly staggered to his feet. "You know, Julia, Caesar sent me out... You should be asking his other guards that... not me..." His eyes began to focus, Julia's blue eyes glaring at him hatefully was the first thing he saw. "I'm sorry, Julia..." He clutched his head and staggered into Buffy.

Buffy supported himself for a second before Licinius regained himself.

"Why didn't you just come right back?" Julia asked as she looked him up and down in a disgusted manner, similar to what Xander had done minutes before.

"Well you should ask Xander that one," Licinius grumbled as he glanced around and found Buffy and Xander staring at him scornfully.

"Hey Licinius. No need to share blame here. You brought the killer into this room, correct?" Xander countered irritably as he glared back at Licinius. He knew he was at fault for forcing Licinius to come with him and Buffy but Licinius running from danger and bringing it right where Severus was, to him, was doubly damaging than his fault.

Julia gave a resounding cough as she observed Xander and Licinius and frowned at them. "I don't want you guys to blame each other. Just tell me the truth. I'll tell you my story after you are done and we can combine it together so I can tell the Imperial guards and ultimately, the senate what happened. If we don't get this story out clearly, I will make sure all of you will pay in some way, for my husband's death..."  
She glanced sadly at Xander. "Even you Xander..."

"Understood," Xander said calmly. "I can start..."

Julia was told about all of the night's events sequentially by Xander, after a few interruptions from Licinius to give his side of events. She stood and listened attentively from beginning to end, before asking Xander, "What if Licinius had not ran from the Praetorian Guard to my husband's chambers? Would he would have been killed?"

"No," Xander responded firmly. "According to Licinius, this man on the floor next to you killed him with an arrow..."

Julia turned to Licinius with a wide smirk on her face. "Why didn't you just protect him?" she demanded. "You ran in here and let this guy kill my husband? Weren't you armed?"

"Sorry, I..." Licinius' eyes wandered about the room. "I wanted to leave the palace. I was just overwhelmed with all the chaos. A Praetorian guardsman recognized my Imperial uniform and chased after me. I had no chance..." Licinius' soft gaze met Julia's with an overwhelming sense of helplessness and vulnerability. "Please don't punish me!" Licinius pleaded, lunging out to clutch Julia's knees.

"You despicable coward!" Julia boomed, startling Licinius. He was practically eight feet away from her and on his feet by now.

The four of them stood motionless in silence for a couple of minutes before it was decided that Licinius would go back to his quarters while the three of them would discuss what would happen from here on out. It was also then decided that it would be comforting for Julia and her children to spend the night in Xander's chambers. After everything was settled, Julia, who had spoken to the four guards outside and verified their protection of her and Xander and Buffy, adjourned outside of the room, glad she could leave the stench of death inside.

Julia knew the four guards were just as much to blame for lack of protection for her husband and knew that they must have been busy outside along the streets while this unfolded; such as tending to the dead across the palace. But since they were now providing her and her family protection, she needed to treat them with respect.

"Not many people in the palace knows Severus is dead," Julia whispered to Xander and Buffy as they exited his chambers alongside four guards who were at their sides.

"But what happens when they do?" Xander murmured, praying that in the morning, everything would return to normal. He knew that would not be the case.

The three of them walked in silence down the palace halls. Cutting through the courtyard it took them several minutes before they reached Xander's chambers. The chambers was the size of the Emperor's chambers, which was thirty feet long, oval table at its center. The walls were lined with small plants that gave the room a fresh scent. At first glance Julia saw that there were plenty of places to sit to accomodate them and her guards. Her two children, Geta and Caracalla, were seated at the table with Willow and Dawn talking to them softly. All four were oblivious to what had transpired a short distance away.

Dawn stopped talking momentarily to greet them. Her blue eyes caught sight of her sister's and Xander's and she frowned. "Hello Buffy and Xander. Didn't bother to tell us where you were going this late at night, did you?"

Xander's eyes returned an icy glare. "There's more important things to be concerned about right now than your feelings, Dawn."

Dawn chuckled while resuming to chit chat with one of the boys. As one of the boys laughed, she let out a reply to Xander. "I know,  
I know. We're not important. Me, Willow, and Brittany came all out here to just be concerned about ourselves."

Julia looked down at the floor before looking back at her children. "Geta. Caracalla. Can you please go to the other end of the room?  
We got some private business to discuss."

"Hey guys, what's going on?" One of the curtains to one of the bedrooms opened to reveal Cato and Brittany. He surveyed the scene and immediately noticed the saddened faces and blood-soaked clothes of Buffy, Xander, and Julia. His eyes widened in fright."What happened?" he managed to say.

Julia walked in slow motion as she often did, her brown hair shining in the candle's light. She walked towards her children, her stomach clenched with dread. Seeing her husband's body with his throat slashed was horrific enough, but then she saw her two children's faces. They looked up at her briefly, and saw her blood-covered clothes and blood-smeared cheeks.

Xander glanced at Cato and Brittany briefly and glanced back at Julia who was touching both of her kids' faces. He did his best to maintain his gruff, business-like exterior, but the sight of a blood-drenched Julia comforting her two children made his cold, dead heart ache.  
He saw Julia speak to them soothingly and quietly the two boys walked out of sight and back where Cato and Brittany were.

Buffy looked at Cato and Brittany, who had concerned looks on their faces. "Guys, it's okay. Just watch the boys and keep them out of earshot."

Cato and Brittany were anxious to talk to the group but paused and glanced at the kids approaching them. Grudgingly, they both nodded back at Buffy and escorted the two kids into the bedroom area.

It was just then that the situation hit Dawn. Something was wrong, she knew. She looked up at Xander and Buffy, and her eyes finally glanced down and noticed their blood-soaked clothes on them. Dawn's jaw dropped straight open like a watermelon was about to be forced down her throat and stared bug-eyed at both Buffy and Xander. "Oh god," she said loudly.

"Please take a seat Buffy and Xander... guards," Julia said, indicating the table with her left hand. Xander took a seat at the end closest to Julia. Buffy followed Xander and took a seat to his left. The other guards filled in the empty seats.

"Is there anything you would like to eat or drink guys?" Willow offered to everyone.

"No thanks, Will," Xander said firmly, giving her a look as if this was not the right time for it.

Julia sighed. This was going to be more tough than she had originally expected. For one thing, she knew her power as an Emperor's wife was gone for good and whatever power she had left was about to gone once she decided on what to do. While it was a bit refreshing to know that she and her children were not in danger due to the fact that there were no opponents to Severus at the moment, she couldn't help but to find it irritating that she would ultimately have some sway in who would next rule the Empire. She noticed everyone at the table was restless, so she began.

"I am in a most unfortunate position that I wish no one would ever be in. My husband, emperor Septimius Severus... is dead." Both Dawn and Willow gasped in horror. Both Dawn and Willow looked at Buffy and Xander helplessly but Buffy and Xander indicated through their faces that both of them should be quiet. Despite their reaction, Julia continued, "This is the case for me. I have two sons; both of which are too young to rule the Empire. Traditionally, it would make sense for me to rule for a bit before they came of age. Therefore, this would mean they could mature and become Emperors later on. Unfortunately, there is a lot of political unrest in Rome right now. Opposing factions and groups are undoubtedly going to come about and take advantage of a woman ruler and her two young children..." She paused a moment to take a deep breath and then added, "Unfortunately we need someone outside of the imperial bloodline to replace my husband. A marriage with me would be appropriate to maintain the bloodline and allow my children the right to become Emperor. A case like this is completely unprecedented in the history of Rome. My successor must be chosen as soon as possible to ensure that if anything were to happen to me, my children would be safe and allowed a chance to become ruler of Rome." She felt her heart quicken and her breathing increase as she moved her eyes over at Xander's. All of the guards who had accompained her to his chambers were downright ugly in comparison to him. As her eyes ran over his body, she couldn't help but admire his tall, muscular build.

Xander couldn't help but stare at Julia, wide-eyed. He was wondering why she was staring at him in a sexually suggestive nature and he flushed with embarrasment. Xander did his best not notice her eyes on him by glancing away but ultimately felt compelled to look back at her. "You can go on, Julia..." Xander urged.

Julia went on to describe certain senators and consuls that could be viable options for leaders which let Xander calm down and remove the blush from his face.

Willow and Dawn shared a concerned look before Xander began chewing his bottom lip, a sure sign that he was nervous. It wasn't just the fact that Julia might mention his name as Emperor and that he would have to marry her, but he knew the fact that his infidelity would be apparent to Buffy. Furthermore, he knew at the moment it would be best for him to take a stand and become Emperor. He had done it boldly already in front of Licinius, but now he had to do it once more.

"Xander, what's wrong?" Buffy asked, seriously getting concerned. Xander's behavior was starting to scare her.

Xander glanced at Buffy and gave her an encouraging nod. "It's nothing, Buff, really..."

Buffy turned back to Julia who was speaking. All her anxiety and fear that she had felt when she was about to be hanged was back full force. Her whole body was starting to shake and her mouth had gone dry- she was nervous that Xander might tell her that he wanted to be Emperor and that ultimately he would have to marry Julia.

"We have to get someone-" Julia began, but Xander interrupted her.

"I'll do it," Xander blurted out, scared that his spark of courage that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere would leave him again if he didn't tell everyone there right then and now.

Buffy, Willow, and Dawn just stared at each other. Their faces were emotionless. Not angry, not sad. They just looked surprised,  
stunned. They certainly hadn't expected this.

After a few moments, one of the guards stood up and angrily cried, "You bastard! Taking the throne of our Caesar like a common criminal!" he yelled through clenched teeth, barely managing to control his rage. He felt like killing the young man for his arrogance. "Surely he is not worthy!" he pleaded to Julia.

"Quit it!" Julia quickly yelled. "He has a right to make an offer." The last thing Julia needed was another bloody brawl.

"Hey man... I don't know you and you don't know me..." Xander began to the guard, glaring with just as much hate as the guard who had spoken had. His gaze suddenly wandered over to Julia. "I'll do what I can to best serve Rome. Your husband compared my popularity to that of Spartacus,'"  
he said half nervous, half calm. He suddenly realized how beneficial his sleeping with Julia had been because it certainly would make Julia have an easier time picturing him as her husband. He hoped that she did not misinterpret his intentions as nothing more than a one night stand.  
He wasn't sure what she would say.

"No!" Buffy and Willow said at the same time. Dawn pointed her index finger at Xander with frustration evident in her face. Xander was surely in trouble at the moment, especially with Buffy. He loved Buffy more than anything in the world but he hoped she would understand that marriage with Julia was just a formality and that there was no way she would bear a child with him, especially with the two children laying in wait for Emperor. "He's not going to risk his life again! Or become your husband!" Buffy continued, wanting to make sure that Julia knew about her displeasure.  
"Me and Xander are lovers. I love him. Don't make him become Emperor."

On one hand, Xander was glad to hear Buffy speak her love of him, on the other he wasn't. If he would not be Emperor, then who would? How were he and Buffy and the others going to be safe with a leader they do not know? "Buffy, I have made a decision. I know it is dangerous for me but it would be more dangerous for all of you if you didn't know who the next Emperor would be."

"I understand what you're saying Xander, but I don't know," Buffy admitted, doing her best to keep her voice from breaking. "It's not just that you are putting yourself in a dangerous position but you might be marrying someone else..."

"How can you do that to Buffy?" Dawn asked Xander, infuriated.

"Buffy-" Xander began, but he was interrupted.

"I can't believe you!" Buffy shouted.

"Buffy, listen to me," Xander began again, but Buffy kept on talking. Rather yelling.

"I thought you were better than this, Xander! I thought we'd been through enough!"

"Enough!" Julia shouted, standing to her feet. She could understand why Buffy was angry but Julia knew that Rome was more important than a woman's hurt feelings.

"Everyone calm down now," Julia ordered. "And Buffy, please calm down. I understand what you are going through. But now, we need to make a decision."

Everyone did as she said and were quiet. Xander and Buffy next to each other on one side and Willow and Dawn on the other. Xander reached for Buffy's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, wanting to assure her that he would be there for her through it all.

After a moment, Julia turned to Xander. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Julia asked, doing her best to keep herself calm. "You would have to adopt my children as your own."

As if someone was attempting to stifle his speech, he heard a discreet cough from Dawn and glanced over at Buffy to see a disapproving look on her face. Checking out Willow and Dawn, he saw the same expressions. Sighing heavily, his gaze shifted over to Julia. "Yes. I am."

Julia nodded. "Okay," she said loudly. "You're going to have to make a speech tonight, Xander." She eyed her guards and added, "You better protect him. You all will be getting paid double."

She got four nods in return.

Buffy winced and shot Xander a look. She sent one of her fierce you're-gonna-die looks.

"I'm going to do it Buffy," Xander said stubbornly.

Buffy appreciated his sentiment, but she'd be damned if he was going to marry another woman with her approval. "You will pay for this, Xander."

Xander frowned at her. "Is that a threat? Because as far as I am concerned, I am Emperor of Rome."

Buffy shot out of her seat, frustrated. "I'm going to take a walk." Before Buffy left the room she gave Xander one last warning frown his way. Xander was sure if none of his friends weren't there, she would have a few nasty things to say about him. Content that Buffy was blowing some steam, Xander forced his attention back at Julia.

"Will it be okay if you and I make the speech together? In private?" Julia asked with a bit of seductiveness in her voice.

Xander smiled, sitting up in his seat with a happy nod. "Sure," he replied sturdily and Julia smiled back lovingly at him and touched his cheek appreciatively.

"Let's go outside." She said and gently kissed Xander's lips before she stood to her feet to leave the room, leaving Xander watching her depart with arousal.

Xander's brown eyes turned in front of him, through the curtains of the bedroom where the two children were. They were scrambling on the bed into comfortable sleeping positions next to each other on the pale white sheets. A deep sigh left his lips.

"Go Xander," Dawn growled, her blue eyes glaring angrily at Xander. It was apparent she knew Xander was intimate with Julia before. Willow knew too.

"You heard Dawn," Willow smirked. "Go."

He stared at his angry friends for a few moments, who were doing their best to make him feel like shit. His gaze softened, but he quickly looked away, not wanting to reveal his shame towards his friends. "I am Emperor. I expect to be treated with respect..." He said while staring at the floor as he stood. His voice lacked conviction and it was apparent he didn't feel what he was saying was right.

"Xander... can we talk to you for a minute?" Willow said, her eyes pleading to Xander to talk to her and Dawn. "We deserve that."

Xander watched Willow for a moment before returning his gaze to Julia, her arms crossing to mirror her impatience. "You do... but not now."

"Xander, I know you are doing this for us. But it's not worth it..." Willow pleaded once more.

"We'll talk about this later, girls," he replied quickly, doing his best to look away from them.

"Do you know what you're doing, Xander?" Willow pushed further. "You know you are going to be the most powerful man in the world? You know that, right?"

"Willow, please, not now..." Xander said.

"Well, I just feel you don't know what you're doing, Xander..." Willow bit her lip, looking away awkwardly. "Just don't do anything that you feel isn't right."

Julia let out a huff. "We need a speech, Xander." She grabbed his arm and dragged him out before half turning to regard Willow and Dawn. She considered apologizing to them, but decided against it.

"We have to write a biography of you and everything, my dear," Julia informed him. "We could inform the senate first, but the mob is Rome. Not the senate."

Xander swallowed nervously as he stared at Julia. After collecting himself, he asked in a soft voice, "Not a Mark Antony kind of speech, right? Do i need his bloody uniform or-"

Julia's expression soured and she dragged his arm out of the room without responding to what he had said.

Despite their anger at Xander, Dawn and Willow couldn't help but to glance at each other and laugh. 


	36. Home

CHAPTER 36

The lonely walk back to Xander's chambers gave Buffy ample time to scrutinize her predicament with Xander. It didn't take her long to figure out exactly what had happened. Dawn had told Buffy that Xander had spent a lot of alone time with Julia, and Buffy knew that he was still relentlessly pursuing safety for his friends. She also knew that he would do anything it took to protect her, even if it meant marrying someone else.

Buffy realized that when Xander asked her if it was a threat, she'd gone about the whole situation all wrong. Practically, she wasn't threatening him with leaving but threatening him that if he married Julia Domna and became Roman Emperor, he would pay with his life. But she thought angrily, why had Julia stared at him so seductively. If she had asked Xander about that, she probably would have found out that maybe he and Julia had shared some intimate moments together.

But just because Buffy understood why Xander had reacted as he did didn't mean she forgave him for the rash decision he made. She never would have jumped to a conclusion of that nature without consulting him. She thought that they had built a more solid relationship than that. She had believed that Xander was her soul mate, not just another one of her boyfriends. And as someone who had helped kill the Praetorian Guard leaders, he ought to have trusted her enough at least to tell her what he was planning to do. If he had cared about her, he would have given that to her. He would have given her the chance to deal with the sticky situation she was placed in.

Buffy took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. If Xander didn't trust her as a girlfriend, she didn't see how he could trust her as someone else's husband. And that probably meant he didn't really love her.

Buffy hurried along the palace as she turned the final corner that led to a nice little courtyard where she enjoyed resting on the benches. She had no doubt Xander would eventually come to his senses and figure out what he had done. He had a stubborn streak that almost matched hers, but he would realize that his image as being protector of his friends just didn't ring true in light of the fact that he was now going to be a target for assassins, hence, making his friends as well. He might even apologize to her. But Buffy did not feel she'd be able to forgive him for him not trusting her. Julia and him would have a wonderful marriage. Well, she thought spitefully, he had ruined his chances for him and her to be together.

Unfortunately, he had also ruined hers.

Which was why, when Buffy finally scurried towards the benches and went towards one of them, it was all she could do to fight back her tears before they exploded like a flood. She threw herself on a bench, thoroughly soaking the bench within seconds.

She cried with great, big, wrenching sobs that shook her entire body and wrung out her soul. She was oblivious to the noise she was making, nor did she notice Dawn's tenative taps on her shoulder were making. A piece of her heart had been ripped out that evening, and Buffy was mourning its loss. Never again would she trust her judgment when it came to men. And the most agonizing part of it was, she knew that she still loved him. Xander had, in a way, betrayed her, and still she loved him.

She was furious.

And so, when Dawn finally turned her over so she could be sitting straight, her eyes still red-rummed and bloodshot, she immediately quit crying. She was seething.

"Buffy, what on earth are you doing?" Dawn burst out, quickly sitting beside her on the bench. "Are you all right?" She took her by the shoulders, scanning her features intently. "It's Xander isn't it?"

Buffy looked away. Dawn's concern for her well-being diffused most of the explosive anger that possessed her. "Yes."

"It's about him and Julia, isn't it?" Dawn surmised. "What an idiot. Any fool could tell he had done something with Julia."

"I guess he's the biggest fool of all, then," Buffy tried to joke. "Because it surely didn't know it himself." She stood up and crossed the courtyard for a minute before turning back to her sister. "I'm really sorry, Dawn. I know having a threesome with Xander and Willow must have been rough on you. Looking back at it, I don't know why I did it. He doesn't deserve it." Buffy let out a harsh little laugh. "He's slept with every woman imaginable. Except you of course. At least I hope he hasn't..."

Dawn stared at her in amazement.

"Of course he hasn't," Buffy continued wryly. "Frankly I think I'd laugh if he made a move on you. Damn, who does he think he is?"

"Roman Emperor, apparently," Dawn said sadly. "Which he will be soon. I'm not an psychic, Buffy. I'm sure you two will find a way to get through this." She strode over to her and pulled her into a sisterly embrace. "I'm concerned about you. That bastard hurt you. He hurt us."

Buffy nodded, feeling slightly better now that Dawn was holding her. A hug does wonders for a broken heart. "Actually, the only thing that is keeping me from crying right now is that I'm so furious with him. And," she added sheepishly, "I've cried so many tears before with him I feel like I have lost the ability to cry."

"Would you like a drink?"

"Actually... I think I would."

"Wait a moment. I'll fetch a servant." Dawn led her to the bench where Buffy dutifully sat down, and then she crossed the courtyard back to where Buffy had came from.

Willow tumbled into the courtyard.

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Willow," Buffy burst out. "Were you eavesdropping?"

Willow picked herself up from the grass with as much dignity as she could muster, which wasn't much, considering she had landed on her belly. "What do you expect?" she demanded in an exasperated voice. "I saw your sadness, Buffy. But I also know you've been quite secretive lately, and you did not have the decency to tell me or Dawn where you were going earlier tonight." She glared at Buffy, planting her hands resolutely on her hips. "Did it not occur to you that we might like to know what is going on? I'm not stupid, you know. Xander and you have changed. You both have excluded me and Dawn." She frowned disdainfully. "Or at least has excluded me."

Buffy stared at her blankly throughout the tirade. "I'm sorry, Willow, but me and Xander shared some experiences that you don't understand," she replied finally.

"And we didn't? We sacrificed our well-being back in Sunnydale to come out here. Might I add we had to survive here as well." Willow said, somewhat peevishly.

"Bull," Buffy retorted. "I was hanged. I was jailed... sentenced to death! I was beaten, nearly raped! I'd say your experience pales in comparison to mine."

"Wow, your experience here has been astounding," Willow commented dryly.

"I've quite forgotten what it is we were talking about," Buffy added.

"And then!" Willow said dramatically, working herself into a fine little grouch. "And then, as I came back from having sex with you and Xander, I find Dawn crying her eyes out behind a curtain and when I tried to comfort her, your darling old man Cato stopped me and said, 'Leave her alone. You caused enough hurt to the young girl. Do be gone.'"

Buffy turned to Willow, a soft smile on her lips. "Did he really say, 'Do be gone'? That's a quite funny thing to say."

"Well I might have," Willow said defensively. "If you weren't so content sleeping with Xander and spending every moment with him. You have other friends, Buffy, you know. God, finally I can speak with you without him around."

Buffy stood up, turned to Willow, and took her hands. "I'm sorry if you felt left out, Willow. That certainly wasn't my intention. It was just that Xander had to get revenge for that woman and child. Everything has happened so fast that we forgot to include you."

"And I'm so sorry I made such a scene," Willow replied sheepishly. "But now you ought to tell me what is going on."

"About what? What happened tonight?" Buffy asked. "Rome's Emperor had his throat slashed. Rather impaled."

Willow frowned at the details. "Not that. Xander. What are you going to do?"

"Well, I feel like me and him should take a break."

Willow sank down onto the bench, pulling Buffy along with her. "What?"

"After all we've been through, he barely knows this woman and he's willing to marry her just like that. Come on," Buffy put it savagely.

"I know. That was harsh."

"I have a feeling those two did something together," Buffy said with a nod.

"It appears so. The way she looked at him... I was about to say something," Willow said incredulously.

"Actually, it's too personal to talk about right now." Buffy fidgeted slightly and then quickly added, "He's going to be Roman Emperor. I heard him say it earlier but I didn't feel like he'd have the courage."

"He said he did it for our protection. Couldn't he just wait to find out who else might be Emperor? I mean, that's how it's usually done, you know. I'm certain some other man would have gotten around to be Emperor. We were not in any danger."

"I don't know if that is his one sole reason."

"What on earth do you mean, Buffy?"

"He's ambitious, Willow," Buffy snapped. "He was so determined to get revenge for the mother and child that he went to a training camp and left me for a few weeks. I'm sure he must have had dreams of being Emperor. He interacted with two of them for Christ's sake."

Willow drew back, looking at Buffy with a skeptical glance. "You actually feel like it's that too?"

"Anyway," Buffy continued loudly, pointedly ignoring Willow's reaction. "I'm quite lonely tonight. Where is he, anyway?"

"With Julia making a speech," Willow said bluntly.

"What?" Buffy shrieked.

"My reaction precisely," Willow murmured.

"Is he crazy?"

"Look, Buffy, it's all politics. She knows the Roman people. He did it for that reason," Willow sighed. "Let's face it. She'd make a good advisor to him... at least in the beginning."

"Oh no, not an advisor," Buffy groaned. "The man's a player."

"Maybe," Willlow added. "But I know he loves you, Buffy."

"Love me? Yeah he's done a lot to prove that but just marrying someone-"

"Get over it, Buffy. I am hurt about it too. But that's part of being Emperor. If he has to marry someone else just to make him become Emperor, so be it."

Buffy shuddered. "I suddenly feel dirty. With all the blood and all. I think I should take a bath."

"Just wait until he makes his speech," Willow explained. "For all we know, the mob might hack him to death once they find out their Emperor is dead."

"Good," Buffy breathed. "He deserves to get hacked to death."

"Listen to yourself, Buffy," Willow said. "You love him, I know. Hell, I love him."

"Unless..." Buffy said thoughtfully.

"Unless what?" Willow asked sharply. "Unless you kill him yourself? God forbid he's been through enough Buffy. Cut him a break."

The mention of cutting Xander a break nearly sent a tear rolling down Buffy's cheek, but she quickly calmed herself down.

"I'm sorry Willow," Buffy apologized immediately. "I shouldn't have said that. I really didn't mean the way it sounded."

"It's all right," Willow said in a small voice, glancing over her shoulder, hoping no one had heard their little exchange. "Where did Dawn go?"

"I'm sorry," Buffy said once more.

"Don't be. I would feel the same way."

"Right!" Buffy said loudly in a sarcastic tone. "You would destroy the world."

Willow stared away from Buffy for a few moments before replying. "That was different."

Buffy and Willow leaned forward expectantly.

"I think we should give Xander some hell," Buffy said.

Willow recoiled visibly. "I don't like the sound of that."

"Oh for goodness sake, Will. I am not asking you to cast a spell on him or anything. All I'm saying is just play some practical jokes on him or something..." Buffy bit her lip as she thought carefully. "After his speech, we could do something to make him jealous. Like kiss or something."

"Why do that Buffy? I mean... cut him a break."

"I want to put him through the hell he's putting me through," Buffy said with a nod. "He's gotten his way over me all this time in Rome. I'm the slayer for crying out loud. Who is he?"

"Just don't let this go on farther than it needs to," Willow advised.

"Or another man," Buffy added. "A lot of guards around here are pretty handsome. I can take one."

"Buffy, you're good at planning things," Willow said matter-of-factly. "I am sure you'll find something. But you know... after the speech, right?"

"Of course."

"England?" Julia asked. "Are you serious? I know you're not Roman but the mob will slaughter you if you told them that you came from England."

Xander's chin rose stubbornly. "Do you know anywhere else I could say where I was from?"

"Do you know anywhere that you've been where you can say where you were born and tell stories?" she asked further.

It was mere curiosity, Xander knew. She had every appearance of a proper lady- from her expensive gown to her innocent blushes, not to mention the pair of stockings she had on.

"I wish I could... I mean to say..." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I was in Gerasa to train. Your husband came into the town and recruited me there. That's where I first met him."

Her sudden smile slanted into his heart like an arrow. "Yes! That would be splendid!"

Xander did his best to ignore the sparkle in her eyes. She didn't seem like a woman who had just lost her husband earlier that night.

"I can't tell you how much you helping me means to me," she said. "After what happened to Severus, I despaired that I would find anyone to replace my husband." Her smile widened, and he did his best not to bask under its glow.

"Yes, well, I wouldn't be so enthusiastic in your appreciation," he told her. "We don't know what's going to happen yet. And until we do, you should not make any assumptions. All that is certain is that you and your children will be safe. Me... who knows?"

That was an understatement. The mob of Romans would most likely throw him in jail and toss the key into the city well.

They continued along the palace halls in silence and once more he did his best to ignore her wicked smile tilting her lips. Gads, what was she doing smiling at me like that? Xander wondered.

"You offered to be Emperor to be with me, didn't you?" she offered just then.

"What, no!" he shot back. "I mean I like you... but you know I'm with Buffy. We had this talk already, you know?"

"Well it doesn't seem like she wants to be with you anymore, anyway." She laughed and took his collar of his armor, giving him a playful tug. "Besides, we need to finish what we started. 10 minutes is not enough..."

He retrieved her fingertips from her grasp, his pride once again pierced. With ease, he pricked her grip away from his armor and pushed them gently away. "Your husband was just killed. How can you be like this?"

That made Julia stop in her tracks, giving him a smug look. "I don't love him."

So she didn't love her husband. "Now please don't tell me you love me," he said sternly. "My life is complicated enough."

"And what if I did?"

"Jesus Christ."

She made an inelegant cough. "You and Buffy," she hissed, shaking her head at the notion. "If you are going to be Emperor, Xander... you have to faithfully be my wife. If you are unfaithful to me, I can find another husband willing to take your place."

"Are you serious?"

She nodded.

Xander stood back and took a long look at her. "Perhaps you need to get some sleep. You're not yourself. All of this is happening way too quickly. Shouldn't we just do all this in the morning?"

At this, she laughed again. "That's a great idea. Let's go to sleep knowing the world is without a leader."

He shrugged. "Who's going to know anyway? Let's just tell them in the morning. Honestly, you're not yourself... I'm not myself... I mean we need to cope with what happened to your husband..."

Julia shook her head and looked away. "There's too many men out there, Xander," she said softly. "Me and my children are not as safe as you say. Families have been killed along with their rulers once the ruler was killed. It could happen here too. I mean, I can list at least a hundred senators willing to become Emperor..."

What she had said made Xander pause. "You're right," he told her. "It'd just be nice... to sleep. Or relax or anything. Is that too much to ask for?"

"I'll take care of you, my dear," she replied, once again smiling.

"Ah, yes. I got enough women doing that."

She stared deep into his eyes. "I know you've been with many women, Xander. But I can promise you, I'm different."

"I know," he told her, and was rewarded with another burst of laughter, sweet and entirely filled with joy. "In fact, I find you quite unique."

They began to walk forward again and rounded a corner and as they did, they both fell to a halt at the sight before them.

A single man stood in the hallway, his hand in the air signaling them to halt. Behind him stood what appeared to be physicians instructing him to come back.

"Who is that?" Julia whispered.

"Trebonius. The other survivor."

"Oh, him!" Julia said loudly. "I wonder what he wants."

Xander frowned at her naive statement. "I'm sure he wants to know if we are okay."

"I say we go somewhere else. We don't have time to socialize with anyone."

"What? Come on. I haven't talked to him since the battle," Xander gasped.

Xander saw Julia walk away from him, expecting Xander to follow. He had no doubt that he had to follow her and that talking with Trebonius would have to be put on the back burner.

The hangman would have been a far more welcome sight for Xander at this juncture.

He smiled at Trebonius. "We'll talk later."

"What happened? Is the Emperor okay?" Trebonius called.

"He's okay..." Xander said, realizing suddenly that he was talking not about Severus, but about himself. Oh, how Trebonius would take the news. He would laugh like a hyena. Xander would know.


	37. Four Women

Chapter 37: Chronicles of a Roman Emperor

Xander was sitting at a table before a list of what he was going to speak about that night when the knock sounded on the door. It was probably Buffy coming to attempt to talk her out of making a speech tonight. Well, she could just forget it. He was his own man. If he didn't make the speech tonight, he'd expect himself, his friends, and Julia and her family to be killed in a matter of moments.

"Buffy, I'm guessing?" Xander asked Julia, who stood at his side.

Julia nodded in agreement.

On the way he glanced at the list and did his best to gather all he could from what he would say. Any second wasted on not preparing for his speech would mean a second taken away from his delivery and his content, which would mean almost certain death. One portraying himself as emperor faced two consequences: either become Emperor or be killed. It was as simple as that, Xander knew. He scratched his chin and suddenly diverted his attention towards Buffy and how he would respond to her anger. Xander opened the door and took in Buffy wearing a wet, white toga and looking all kinds of gorgeous.

Surprise mixed with immense pleasure at the sight of her. Forget the anger she was feeling. Forget the way she was looking at him angrily or that the way she smelled was very perfumish. He needed to pay attention to why she was at this door. "I know you are making a speech with that whore," she blurted out.

"Nice to see you too," Xander said with a smile.

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "How about, you tell me what you did with Julia. You had sex with her, didn't you?"

Julia walked in front of Buffy, beside Xander. "He's got more important matters to deal with, Buffy"- anger flashed over Buffy's face- "with the Emperor situation going on."

"You had sex with him, didn't you?" Buffy turned to Julia and asked her instead.

"What makes you say that, Buffy?" Julia asked innocently, but with a twitch of sarcasm in her voice.

Buffy nodded toward the table Xander was sitting at. "It's raining outside. Can I come in?"

Xander's gaze at Buffy softened. "You can come in, of course, Buffy. But I'm preparing a speech right now. We can talk about this stuff later on."

Outrage spiked through Buffy. "This stuff? That's what you call infidelity, huh?"

"I guess she doesn't seem like she is going to listen to you, Xander. I say we go back to business and leave her out in the rain."

Buffy could hear restrained anger in Julia's voice. "Damn you two!" Buffy said. "Xander, you meet a pretty woman and in a few days, you act as if you've known her longer than me!" Buffy pushed Xander and Julia aside and came into the well lighted room. Both Xander and Julia could sense her distress and it was rubbing off on them too.

Xander caught a glint of something, calmness maybe, in her eyes. "Buffy, I know you understand. I can see it in your eyes. You know why I'm with Julia. It's not because I love her or because I want to be with her. I want to be with you, Buffy."

"I'm sorry. But what are these papers?" Buffy shuffled all of the papers off of the table with one swing of her hand. Those of which happened to be documents carefully placed there to help Xander's speech.

"Ah, Buffy. What are you doing? Those papers are important... for my speech." He rubbed his chin, looking around the room. His gaze shifted to the floor where the papers had fallen. "How long do you plan on being here, Buffy?"

Buffy turned to look at Xander to see where he was looking at. The papers were in a disarray and not organized. "What, you need these don't you?"

Xander swallowed. He seemed to wait for more explanation to what he had asked.

"Look, Xander, I know you may get killed during the speech or just after it. So what good is it if you tell me what happened after the speech? I love you Xander. I just don't know what to say. Do you want to drive me crazy by not telling me?"

That got a quick smile out of him. "I love you too, Buffy. But please don't make me down right now... I have to be strong and make a speech..."

"You're going to be down?" Buffy looked down at Xander's right hand, where he held a list of what he was going to say in his speech.

"I, uh, am already down, actually."

"It's guilt that bothers you."

"A lot of things bother me right now, Buffy. But guilt is one of them, yes," Xander added at her a saddened expression. He walked over to the table and ran his fingers along the edges of the table. "So... are you willing to forgive me?"

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "No, and you wouldn't care anyway. You're marrying to Julia anyway. We're done, Xander."

Xander let out a long breath. "People make mistakes, Buffy."

"That's probably the one thing that you've said that makes me feel better since I've got here." Buffy couldn't help the thrill of finding out finally that Xander had been unfaithful to her.

Xander sighed and leaned against the wall behind him. "Dammit, Buffy. I don't know what else to do or say. I did have sex with Julia." Buffy could hear the pain in his voice; pain, loneliness, and desperation. "I need... I'd like you to be here with me Buffy."

Buffy couldn't breathe for a moment. With those words, he had cut open her heart. "I'm going down to the city for a walk," she said. "Tonight. Let everyone else here take care of you but I will be gone. And-" her own voice hitched. "I don't know what else to do or say either."

Something in her voice made Xander look at her pleadingly. "Are you going to forgive me, Buffy?"

"Why should I forgive you? Our bond was stronger than anyone's, Xander. I can't believe you did that."

"I know it was. It still is. But this was different, Buffy."

"Yes, it was different. It was a different girl. I know about your past, Xander. You did the same thing to Cordelia with Willow. How did Cordelia forgive you, Xander?"

"I'll go with you."

"No." She knelt down and picked up the papers she had pushed to the floor. Once she had done so, she placed them neatly on the table from where she swiped them off. "Not a good idea Xander."

Xander pushed his back away from the wall and walked over to her, attempting to use all of his six-foot height to impose his will upon her. "Why not?"

She looked down, doing her best to avoid his brown eyes, but his perfectly shaped face wasn't a good place to find distraction, or his throat. She looked away from him to watch Julia staring at them from the door opening. "Because I don't want you telling me I overreacted, or... making me feel worse than what I feel right now. I don't want your begging and pleading self around. I need to be by myself for a while."

He touched her chin, pulling her gaze back to his. "I won't let you leave like this."

His touch filled her with warmth and pulled her toward him. She moved back, shaking her head. "And... and we shouldn't be so tied together anyway. It just makes things worse. My heart can't take it again."

"If you can take an attempted rape by Spike and lay in a bed with him afterwards... someone you love... how can you not take this?"

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "I didn't love him, Xander. You're too sensible, too grounded."

"I'm too human."

"I love you Xander because you're not the love-them-leave-them type of guy like Spike... Scott or Parker... Don't ask me how I know that, but I do. I'm not supposed to want a man this bad. I'm supposed to be strong as a slayer. I am a woman, hear me roar kind of thing."

But she did want him. Xander scanned her while she attempted to look strong and independent.

"You're telling me you shouldn't be so head over heels to me since you're the slayer?" he asked. "Let me tell you this, Buffy. You're human. You have superhuman abilities, but you are human. I am human. Humans aren't perfect. I made a mistake and I am sorry, Buffy. Everyone makes..."

"Don't say mistakes again," Buffy said, pointing at him. "This was a dumb mistake, Xander. After you and I fought together and nearly died. You have sex with someone you barely know. How can you do this?!" She instinctively ran her fingers through her hair. "Maybe if I meet someone sensitive and romantic, I can tolerate this but you are nothing but a brute now, Xander. Look at yourself, you have a better body than Spike and Angel combined..."

"How can you call me that? I'm not just a brute. I am sensitive."

"Sensitive, huh? Sensitive towards my feelings by having sex with that whore!" Buffy turned to glare at Julia, who rightly was not saying anything and watching intently at what was going on. "A simple sorry is not enough for me, Xander. I need more."

"Are you going to cheat on me or something? An eye for an eye thing. Come on Buffy. We're adults here."

She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the sting all over again. "You hurt me, Xander. So fine, say sorry. Go away and let me deal with this on my own."

He scanned her again, and she attempted to put on her toughest slayer face. He put his hands on his hips and leaned down towards her. "Okay, tell me this. You go down to the city and then what? Do you have a place to stay? Any money on you? If I am killed by the mob our friends don't stand much of a chance either do they? Are you willing to take that chance Buffy?"

"You're overreacting again, Xander."

"No... I'm just making sense."

"So fine, I'll bring our friends."

He shook his head. "Go back to our chambers and relax. I will get the speech done soon. Don't be punishing me now, Buffy. We're losing time, and you can punish me anytime, anywhere, after the speech, Buffy."

"You're over-"

"No I'm not. You were. Let's just do-" there was an interesting sparkle in his eyes- "something practical here, Buffy, come on."

Buffy stared down. She weighed her options. Being alone in the city definitely was not a great idea. He was not as sensitive as he said by no means, but every time she caught that glint of compassion, her heart opened a little more. But he did have a point, which meant she would look foolish arguing with him when she knew he was right.

"Okay, but get that speech done and do it carefully, please. I hope everything goes as planned," Buffy said.

"Usually doesn't, but thanks for the good luck, or possibly jinx."

"Just understand Xander that I am going to be the boss in this relationship now. I know you've been used to being in charge while in Rome because you saved my life a hundred or so times, but you've milked that one dry. Now you owe me. You're going to have to win back my trust and your power over me."

"Fine. You're in charge. Can you please go to the chambers?"

"Okay, as long as we have that clear," Buffy said, narrowing her eyes at Xander. "And no more jokes from now on. You are going to be an Emperor. You have to be mature."

"I won't."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously. Go."

"And no more touching and kissing. Nothing, not even contact."

"What?! Are you crazy?!"

Buffy laughed, realizing her statement had gotten the exact reaction she had wanted. "I'm just kidding, but don't take it for granted anymore," she said, turning and going towards the open doorway. "Goodbye Xander."

Xander's smile widened as he lost himself in good feelings about the slayer. "Goodbye Buffy. Be sure to attend the speech."

Buffy stared at him deeply. "I will," she replied politely.

Julia took Buffy's arm and prepared to lead her out of the room.

Buffy glared at Julia. "Get your hands off me," Buffy declared sharply. "And get your hands off my man."

Xander smiled and shook his head. He had dodged a bullet, at least for now.

Julia didn't even attempt to stifle a groan as she let go of the slayer's arm, slowly turning around as Buffy left the room. Absently rubbing her backside, Julia found herself fervently wishing that she had interrupted Buffy and Xander's conversation when they were angry at each other.

"You know," she muttered, continuing the conversation she'd had with him before Buffy entered. "It's fairly clear you need to mention that you are a Roman. If they know you are not a Roman, you will be killed on the spot."

"I agree."

Julia growned inwardly. She knew Xander was not a Roman and for that reason had liked him instantly. She had been having sexual inclinations about Xander for over a week and it would not leave her alone, despite her obvious efforts to shift them to her now deceased husband. There was nothing overtly wrong with Xander; his manners were nothing if not correct, and he was obviously intelligent. Buffy's nice regard for him even after mentioning he had sexual relations with her was a reaction to his overall good character. The tone of his voice, the way he looked at Buffy, the tilt of his head when he surveyed the room Buffy was in- all of which had somehow managed to make Buffy feel comfortable and happy in his presence. He was a strange man, outwardly courteous to her but at the same time somewhat disdainful of the fact he was put in this position by her and the events surrounding her husband's death. Another final oddity was that Xander seemed to put Roman politics in extremely low regard.

So Julia was not overjoyed to find him standing where he was, in a daze, obviously considering Buffy. "If you do not come off as sharp," Julia began politely, doing her best to brush aside the obvious fact he was not listening. "The Romans will consider you a half wit and will kill you."

"Thanks for not intervening, Julia. I mean that."

Julia was exceedingly annoyed to note that he had spoken those words to her butt. She was acuetly uncomfortable and longed to tug her dress up, but she would not give Xander the satisifaction of realizing it had unnerved her. "Thank you for that, Xander," she said through gritted teeth. "But I assure you, next time you have an argument during business affairs, I will interrupt with pleasure. Now if you'll excuse me, however, I should really get back to my children. My children will be missing me." Julia started to leave, but he quickly grabbed her lower arm. His grip was not painful, nor was it cruel, but Xander held her firmly, making it abundantly clear that he did not intend for her to leave anytime soon.

"Julia," he said smoothly, his silky voice belying his iron grip on her arm. "Let's finish this speech so I can go out there and get it done."

Julia said nothing.

Xander's grip tightened slightly. "No comeback, Julia? You're willing to let you and your family be at the mercy of the Roman mob?"

"Your fate is not much better," she replied icily.

"Julia, we need to finish this speech. So much is at stake here."

Julia frowned, unsure of what to make of that comment.

"I have a feeling, Julia, that you did not enjoy me and Buffy's reconcilation."

Xander let go of her arm abruptly, and Julia snatched it back. "If you think that I will marry you with this going on-"

Xander let out a sharp laugh at the hot determination of her voice. "I love Buffy, Julia. You know that right?"

"I am a proper woman. I will marry a man that loves me and I will not shame myself by marrying one that does not."

Julia's free hand shot up to slap his face, but Xander caught her arm before it connected.

"Calm down, Julia. I know you are disappointed. We are marrying for the safety of your family. You understand that, right?"

Julia laughed in his face. "You know how many men I can marry if I wanted to? Damn it, Xander, I love you. You're my soul mate. I searched throughout this Roman world and I have found you."

Xander tightened his hold on her wrists until Julia could not help but wince from the pain. Her distress made him feel guilty, and his pale eyes glittered dangerously in the dim light of the room. Julia lifted her chin stubbornly, and he abruptly let her go, causing her to stumble back a few steps.

"You shouldn't waste your time with this fantasy, Julia. As you said you can get any man... Why me? What makes me so different?"

Julia glanced outside the open doorway, and Xander found he was beginning to put Julia in an uncomfortable position. "You don't want to hear this," she said. "We need to start on that speech as you said."

Xander did, and he did not. "As your future spouse, I feel like I should know this," he said. "Maybe it can explain a lot to me so I don't have to wonder about it."

"You're a strong man," Julia said, "it is something that captures my heart. It is not just your strength but your will. I need someone like you with me and my children."

Xander wasn't sure he agreed. "You're basing this on me killing the Praetorian guard leaders?"

"No," Julia said with an air of fatigue that surprised Xander. "Not just that, Xander... I heard about how you lost your best friend, Cimberius... How you were poisoned at his funeral... How you killed a Praetorian guardsman for revenge and how you killed his mistress in self-defense... How you avenged Pertinax's death by killing those Praetorian guardsmen... It's leader... Pulcher... You've done so much..."

"But many people has experiences like this in Rome, Julia..." Xander said gently. "I assume Severus told you all about me. Listen, I know Rome... It is a brutal place. I survived, yes, but I should not get any pity for it. I know for sure, others have had experiences similiar to mine, if not worse. Would you love them too?"

"No I wouldn't," Julia said, looking away. "It's just you managed to not let it transform you. You're a sweet guy."

Her voice was full of sadness and love, and Xander let it go. "By the way," he said, "I can use what you said about me in my speech. I gather that's okay for my speech?"

"Some women need men that can go through what you did and can have a smile on them afterwards."

Xander sat down where he was sitting earlier at the table. "Would you like something to drink, Julia?"

"Yes, thank you, I would."

Julia watched as Xander made a gesture to someone standing in a corner. He was a servant who managed to slip in after Buffy had left. He most likely was being respectful to Xander and Buffy's conversation as Julia was, but was not present in the room.

"Well, I thank you for clarifying why you love me, Julia," he said. Here he hesitated, for to tell her how he felt about her was to assume too great an intimacy. "If I have known all of your experiences," he said instead. "I am sure I would love you the same way."

"Maybe not."

"I'm sure I would."

"How'd you meet Buffy?"

"Whoa there," Xander said. Some of the papers in front of him were whisked away, and a cup of water was set before him. He glanced at Julia. "You won't have any?" he asked.

"I... I drink too much water anyway."

"Come on, take a seat, Julia," Xander said, gesturing her to take a seat beside him. She took a seat beside him. Then he considered how to respond to how he had met Buffy. He figured he'd begin where he first met her in Rome, after being transferred here through a portal in a bag that Giles had experimented with. "I saved her from being hanged."

Julia said nothing, a silence Xander took to be shock and admiration.

"I imagine this might add to my speech with my amazing biography," he said.

"It should. Wow..." Julia sighed and then smiled. There was simply no adequate response. "You're really something," she said.

"That's what started it all. I could've just took it easy and had a quiet time in Rome. But no... You know I got imprisoned after that and was set to be executed..." Xander trailed off, realizing he was giving too much away.

"Imprisoned?"

"Yes. Buffy was set to be executed and I was going to be spared. But I decided to be executed with her."

"Who set these executions?" Julia asked, a bit startled that something like this could have happened to Xander.

"Pertinax," Xander said, knowing that he would not be punished for what he was saying since Severus was dead and he was going to be Emperor. "I remember what he told me that helped me become what I am now... He said he respected the ringleader 'or the man who has the balls to do something that could easily cost him his life. It's those who follow that leader I dislike. You are a person of your own.' Something like that he told me. I mean I didn't really use it for motivation but man... it made sense."

"Pertinax told you that? Are you joking?" Julia asked in bewilderment. "If he told you that, why would he want to execute you?"

"I convinced him too," Xander said. "Even then, I was in love with Buffy."

"Hmm... It would be best we left this out of your speech... The part where Pertinax sent you to be executed," Julia said, and Xander nodded. "How did you and Buffy escape?"

"He was assassinated the day Buffy and I were supposed to be executed," Xander said, pondering to collect what he knew about Pertinax's assassination. "Ironically, Pulcher is who saved me... because he was the one who led his men to kill Pertinax."

"Wow, what a coincidence... and you killed him..."

"He deserved to die," Xander said, and he had to cut himself short before he mentioned why he hated Pulcher so much. The fact he had killed two women, a mother and daughter in cold blood. Two women he had loved as a family despite being with them for a brief period. Two women, ever since killing Pulcher, he had not had nightmares about since.

Julia thought about the way Xander could have survived such a story and it made butterflies fill in her stomach.

She wanted for him to get out of his clothes. "Xander, knowing it may be your last speech," Julia said. "I say we do something before..."

"Yeah... We need to add parts and bits of what I told you... About Pulcher and how he killed innocent women and children..." Xander said. "Anything else I should add?"

"Don't waste your time," Julia said. "We can make the speech anytime before sunrise. You know that right?"

Julia bent toward Xander and kissed him. It was an unexpectedly soft kiss, and Julia put her palm on his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. She laid her hand softly on his shoulder from his chest.

She pulled back, looking deep into his eyes. He looked back, still a little shocked.

Julia looked off and blushed. This gave him the urge to kiss her. He wanted to be with a woman. Her kiss, her soft lips against his, he wanted to feel it again.

He locked his lips with hers again, and felt his answer. His arms were still around her waist, while she slipped her arms slowly around his neck.

They kissed for minutes, and how cold she was before, how hot she had became after they had kissed.

He dumped his armor on the floor, before leading Julia over to a bed, and she and him crawled under the sheets and embraced again. Admiring, she stroked his muscles, which came out because of his wet, tight undershirt.

For a moment, both just looked back at each other. Her petite hands were on his chest. Then, slowly, her hands trailed down, grabbing the end of his shirt. She moved it back up, showing his belly, which was marked by a six pack. His hand stopped hers, and he looked at her, questioning. Her gaze was shy, but certain. She had waited for him since she had sex with him. All these moments, she had waited for this moment again. She didn't want to wait anymore.

He moved his hands out of the way and feld them behind his head, so she could remove his shirt.

Again he kissed her, their hands trailing over each other's body. They broke the kiss when Julia loosened his underwear. He nibbled gently on her earlobe while she threw off his underwear and threw it on the floor.

He pushed himself up, looking at the small woman beneath him. Her lips were swollen and red with treatment, her eyes squinting. He could see the violet shimmering through her eyelids. Slowly, he removed her clothing, which protected her from the cold.

As he did, he saw the servant watching with a smile next to the open doorway. "Please leave and get the door on your way out."

The servant quickly snapped out of his trance and looked at Xander with a forced smile. "Yes Caesar." Within a second, he was outside and the door was slammed with a decisive thud.

Xander shifted his gaze to Julia's body. Her body was amazing for a woman reaching fifty. It was curved exactly how it was supposed to be. Her breasts were perfectly round, moving up and down with her coarse breathing, her nipples were tight. His hands trembled as he found himself rather intimidated by her wonderful body. Though his body was great, he felt as if he was a kid with a woman. Well, in a way, he was.

His eyes found hers again. She had seen him hesitate.

'What about Buffy?' Xander wondered to himself as she watched him.

She bit her lip as she watched him. He noticed. A quick smile compensated for the awkwardness.

"I'm sorry for that," Xander said to her and she nodded, knowing it was okay with him.

He lowered his head, kissing her again, this time with more meaning than any of their kisses before. She could feel it. It meant so much passion, and it could even have meant love as well. His hands softly caressed her breasts, earning a small whimper of delight.

He slowly tugged off her undergarments, leaving her totally naked like him. A nervous shiver crept down his spine, but he couldn't turn back. He wanted it, she wanted it- he would do it again. They would do it again.

As slowly as possible, he pushed his member inside of her vagina. She whimpered, and he held still, looking at her face, a nervous look on his. He could clearly see the tears appear in the corners of her blue-coloured eyes. Softly he wiped them away, and when she nodded, he continued. He pushed himself in, and pulled out.

He went faster when she wrapped her slender legs around him and gave a soft moan. He grunted as his breathing went faster.

Her hands buried themselves in his hair, and she moaned again. They were both panting.

Willow, Dawn, Cato, and Brittany managed to keep the boys Caracalla, 5, and Geta, 4, entertained throughout a brief meal. Willow spent so much of her time reminding the boys how special their mom was. They all had hoped that sooner rather than later these frequent reminders would act to bring them out of their reverie that they were in upon hearing that the children's daddy was gone.

At the end of their meal, Willow rose from the table they were sitting at with a quick smile. "I feel like I'll go back to my chambers now," she said. "Cato can you please entertain those boys for me?"

"Sure, Willow," Cato said. "Are you coming back tonight?"

"Just come when you hear about Xander's speech starting," Willow said, sounding resigned. "We all should attend that speech."

"I can guarantee you I'll be there," Cato assured her. "Xander becoming emperor... My god!"

Brittany shook her head in disbelief at the notion and started chit chatting with one of the boys.

"Are you going to sleep Willow?" Dawn asked, running an eye over Willow's simple navy-blue linen blouse and white shirt. The same she had been wearing when they were transported to Rome.

"Yes, I suppose so," Willow said. "Since you know I didn't get much earlier tonight."

"Oh, I know what you mean," Dawn said. "Is it okay if I come down to talk with you for a moment before you go to sleep?" Dawn smoothed down the dress she was wearing.

Willow laughed. "Well, if you want to talk about 'you know what' then no, but if something else, we can..."

Dawn nodded.

Willow went to the back of the room, leaving them to keep the boys happy and divert their attention enough so they don't wonder about what had happened to their father. Cato would be responsible for entertaining the two boys, ensuring that he would be lacking any sleep that he would otherwise be getting at this time.

Unsteady on her feet, Willow walked over to where her robe was and hurriedly removed what she was wearing and donned it. Knowing Dawn had followed her back, she asked shakily, "You want to talk about what happened with what Buffy and Xander did with me, right?"

"What you guys did?" Dawn sat at the end of the bed and acted as if she didn't know. She had cried rivers of tears once Willow had told her what she had done by sleeping with Buffy and Xander. It was disgusting to her that her sister would involve herself in such an act. "Let's not talk about it anymore."

"Let's not. I can't believe Xander and Buffy got me to do that," she whispered, then realized she'd been the one who had instigated the idea of a threesome. "Actually take that back... I did this to myself."

Dawn plowed all ten fingers through her hair. "I'm apparently missing something here. Maybe you can clue me in. Did you participate in it to strengthen your friendship with them? With Buffy? Xander?"

"Sort of." Remembering that there was a handkerchief she used as an eye protector was around on the floor somewhere, Willow walked around the bed and searched on the floor until she found the handkerchief.

Her hands shook so nervously, she had trouble grasping the handkerchief. She inhaled deeply, and coughed deeply.

She went back to where she had been standing before and wrapped the handkerchief around her arm so it wouldn't fall back on the floor.

"Willow, dear, tell me what's wrong?"

"You have every right to be angry," she said, walking back into the living room and retrieving a wooden doll that one of the kids had played with. She held it to her abdomen like a shield.

"I'm not mad," Dawn said gently. "Just confused."

"It's Xander."

"Xander." Dawn repeated as if she weren't quite sure she remembered the name. "What about Xander? You love him?"

"Yes." She nodded once, profoundly. "He's going to be Emperor, Dawn. My god, he is some guy." Her gaze skirted back to the bed. "He's been kind and good-"

"He's in love with Buffy." Her words were heavy with insinuation. "Give Buffy a chance to be with him. She's in love with him too. You can't get between those two."

"It's not that kind of love," she said, and she realized she was doing a poor job of explaining herself. She swept her hair away from her face. "I mean I just want to be around him... everywhere he goes. Sure, there's some sexual feelings but not as much as you'd expect," she said bluntly.

Dawn's eyes rounded with offense. "Hey, I didn't come here to talk to you about this stuff, Willow-"

"I know, I know," she interrupted. "I just want to get this off my chest. And this stupid toy..." She threw the doll on the floor. "I don't know how to explain it. He's kind and handsome and-"

"You're talking about Xander right?"

"Right. I can't hurt Buffy because I love him. But if she has any doubts, I will be waiting for the moment that happens."

Dawn didn't respond.

"You have every right to be angry at me. I know your sister is happy with Xander but I don't know..."

Again Dawn didn't say anything. She stood and walked over to Willow.

"It's okay, Willow. I feel the same way, actually," Dawn admitted, lowering her head in shame.

"You do?"

"Except I want Xander more in a sexual way."

"Oh," Willow said, nodding.

Then Dawn headed back outside of the chambers. "We'll talk about this after the speech..."

"But... what did you want to talk about, Dawn?" Willow asked quickly before Dawn left the chambers.

"After the speech," Dawn muttered as she scratched her cheek. "Get some sleep. I'll wake you when the speech is about to happen."


	38. One Step Beyond

Chapter 38: Chronicles of a Roman Emperor

Xander spent the morning in his chamber writing. Like many times when he did his English homework, he had challenges writing what he wanted to say. He had filled a basket with crumpled pieces of paper. He felt like a fool who didn't know what he was doing.

When 3 o'clock came and he noticed that Julia was asleep, he took it as a good excuse to abandon his wretched attempts and go look for Trebonius. He had been a faithful bodyguard and sadly, aside from him and Buffy, the sole survivor of his ambush on Pulcher and his Praetorian guardsman. He deserved a meeting with him before his speech.

"What about Buffy?" Trebonius asked Xander, as if wary of entering unstable ground. In his experience in battle with Buffy and Xander, he knew those two loved each other very much and would die for each other. He had found out while in the palace of Severus' murder and Xander waiting in the wings to become Emperor. But he wanted to know why Xander was willing to marry Julia and adopt her children when he loved Buffy. "You do realize you are the most popular man in Rome right now, right? You don't need to marry her and adopt her children!"

"I don't know what to do," Xander replied as he poured wine into a cup. His manner was casual, but his interest sharpened immediately.

"You don't know what to do? You love Buffy and you are marrying another woman?"

"I have to become Emperor. I'm sick of hiding and waiting in terror for something awful to happen to me and my friends. Rome, with all its grandeur, is a sick place. To tell the truth, I don't know how I even made it this far. This city will eat you alive. I want to be safe."

"You know you can become Emperor without marrying Julia, right?" Trebonius asked. "You can marry Buffy by Jupiter!"

"What about Julia? Her children? They didn't deserve this. Should I just marry Buffy and let Julia be here with her children. She can carry herself very well you know… She can get me killed very easily."

Anger swelled in Trebonius as he pictured his friend, a strong, lost little man with puppy dog eyes, standing confusedly and far from the man who had led him and others to die for him and his cause. "Forgive me for being blunt, Xander, but you have become weak. You have let a woman dominate you and your actions. You can handle a strong, stubborn woman like Buffy but in front of this older, fragile woman, you are her dog?"

Xander shook his head as if to forestall the answer he sensed was coming. "She's very persuasive." He smiled wryly. "But she kinda grew on me, you know? She knows how to calm me down. Buffy just wants a fight every time I talk to her."

Trebonius took a deep breath. "I am positive your friends disagree with you on this," he whispered, and saw his face tighten. "It just doesn't feel right, Xander. I want you to do what's best for your safety… I want that more than anything. I am your bodyguard. But I'm not certain it would be the right thing to do."

"It is," Xander said roughly.

"Then if it is, would it be the right thing a month from now? Two months? Too much has happened. For all you know, she can manipulate you or behind your back, have your friends punished for their insolence towards her. She would make you turn against your friends. She would destroy your relationships."

The force of Xander's willpower shone out of his eyes, intensely brown and focused. "If I were to do what you said," he said in a slow, deep voice. "What should I do about Julia and her children?"

"Listen… I'm educated. But I'm also realistic. Obviously, I would do what Odysseus suggested and throw Astyanax from the walls-"

Xander frowned at him, not knowing what he was talking about.

Trebonius further clarified. "I would kill his children. But I'm also a good man and realistic. Exile is what you should do. Not just his children, but Julia too."

Xander looked at Trebonius with concern as he weaved through the familiar corridors of the Imperial Palace. He thought briefly about what Trebonius had told him minutes ago while he was in Trebonius' room. He was thankful he had gotten a different perspective on what to do. He had to hand it to Trebonius, he had been right. He was being dominated by Julia, a woman he's known merely for a week. She seemed to already accept that he was going to make her his wife and adopt her children. This only made him wonder about what he would gain from being her wife, and whether he had missed something.

"Once her kids get to a certain age, she will dispose of you like Agrippina Minor did to Claudius," Trebonius told Xander, opening his eyes wider.

Xander turned to Trebonius, his neutral face turning to a frown. "What did she do to him?"

"She poisoned him with mushrooms." Trebonius paused. "Her son then became Emperor."

Xander scratched his chin. "You know… all of those positive feelings I've had about marrying Julia have changed."

Trebonius looked at Xander skeptically. "It is?"

"Yes."

"So are you going to make a speech and deceive her or tell her before your speech?"

Xander considered this a moment before he said, "I wish I had more time."

"This is the biggest decision of your life. It will affect your friends' lives too. I don't want it to be something you regret but at the same time, you have to make it quick before someone else does."

"I know."

"So," Trebonius began casually. "Do you want me to give you a list of possible places to send her family into exile?"

Xander looked down to the ground. He was tired and had gone without sleep for nearly a day. Despite his fatigue, he was able to rationalize to himself, it would be better to send her family into exile.

"Yes," Xander told him. "Go on."

Just around the corner from where he stood, Willow and Dawn were in their chambers. Xander had decided to change his plans on the whim, due in part to Trebonius' convincing. He was dreading the fact he had to tell them, since it seemed they had grown an attachment to Julia's two boys. Now he had to tell them he was going to send those boys into exile with their mother, and act like he was strong enough to become Emperor.

He paused at the corner again, peeping just around it to see them. They stood there a good four to five feet apart. Willow was leaning against the wall while Dawn roughhoused a bit with Geta. Xander smiled; he was really going to miss the boys.

Suddenly, Geta stopped and turned around and started running towards where Xander had been hiding. Realizing he had been found and that he didn't have a chance to hide anymore, he stepped out from around the corner. Bending over he picked the little boy up with a small smile and let him giggle into his ears.

"Hey Xander. Getting prepared for your big speech?" Dawn said with a lopsided grin.

Xander suppressed his guilt as he walked over to the pair, placing Geta onto the ground.

"So you're feeling better about what you're about to do?" Willow asked. Xander barely managed a nod. "Great, now… we're going to watch you marry someone twice your age and frankly, boss you around all the time. Right?"

"A-actually, that's not going to happen," Xander said in a very small voice.

"All right! So you're going to give her orders! When to have sex with you and when not to!" Willow yelled. She stopped suddenly when Xander shook his head.

"I'm not marrying her."

"You're not marrying her?" Willow's voice had an skeptical tone to it.

Again Xander shook his head. "I'm going to marry Buffy."

Willow scrunched up her nose. "Buffy?" she said, "How?"

Xander almost had his face completely buried in his hands. "I'm sending her and her boys into exile," Xander said, realizing Geta and Caracalla were too young to understand what he was saying. Even then, Xander couldn't help but glance between his fingers over at Geta, who was on the floor observing him, and Caracalla, who was half asleep in the corner of the room. He then looked up from his hands at Willow with desperation written on his face. "I don't want to talk about their exile. Please."

"Okay, okay. We won't ask about that," Willow responded quickly. Just how are you going to exile them when you have this whole palace full of guards loyal to her husband."

Xander's voice was so quiet that Dawn and her were barely able to hear him. "In my speech."

"In your speech?" Willow yelled.

Dawn looked as surprised as she ever did. "In your speech? But those guards will kill you! You…"

Dawn stopped when she saw Xander's face. His eyes were huge and his face was so pale that it almost matched her face.

"I'm sorry," Xander whispered, pushing Geta gently into Dawn's arms. Turning back, he bristly walked away, his eyes filled with water, but the tears were not falling.

Willow started to go after him, but Dawn's hand on her arm stopped her.

"What?" Willow yelled over her shoulder.

"He needs to calm down. We should wait until he calms down."

"Didn't you notice him crying? He needs someone."

"He left because he was embarrassed. Give it a few minutes…"

Willow hesitated, then sharply nodded, yanking her arm out of Dawn's hand. A few minutes. In a few minutes, he could be giving a speech to the masses signing his death warrant. But maybe Xander was going to wait for his speech. She hoped it would be so.

Xander looked at the ground, up at Buffy and down at the ground again. He wanted to say something to her. It wasn't that he had anything specific to say, but he wanted to be able to hold a pleasant conversation for a few minutes.

"Xander?"

Xander jerked his head up. He hadn't thought yet what he would say if she talked to him.

He swallowed. "Yes, Buffy?"

She leaned over close to him, causing his heart to speed up. "What do you plan on doing this morning for your speech?" she whispered.

"Umm, I, I don't know, but, but…"

"You're going to marry Julia," she finished for him. "It doesn't seem that complicated for me."

Xander had no idea how to tell Buffy his plans for deception. "Buffy, well, I need to tell you…"

Xander broke off when he realized Buffy was no longer next to him. She had run ahead and was now walking next to Trebonius, who had came out from one of the corridors of the palace.

Xander looked to his right at Trebonius, whose eyes locked on with his. "Yes, Trebonius?"

"I've got some places…"

Xander's eyes went wide. "Can you wait while Buffy and I discuss something important?"

Silence passed by both Buffy and Trebonius with her just watching him, with complete admiration. "Are you doing okay, honey?" Buffy asked Trebonius.

Trebonius looked away from Xander and faced her, with the same smile. "Yes. How are you doing, Buffy?"

"I'm doing good." She was about to add something but she realized Trebonius' face revealed he was distracted by Xander's gaze. "You want to wait for me and Xander to talk?"

He just answered her with a smile and walked away.

After a minute, Xander walked over to Buffy. He let out a short burst of laughter and kept walking, nudging Buffy to walk with him.

"Why don't you let me and Trebonius talk? He was one of the reasons why we survived, after killing those Praetorian guardsmen!"

"Hmm, what? I know that, Buffy." Xander shrugged. "I need to tell you something more important than what Trebonius was going to say."

"And that is…?"

Xander smiled down at Buffy. "I'm not marrying Julia."

Buffy looked confused. "What are you talking about, Xander?"

Xander smiled. "I'm going to make a speech where I send Julia and her boys to exile. I will marry you." Buffy was relieved.

Buffy looked back at Xander and smiled, immediately brightening. "Thank you, Xander."

"I feel guilty but I have to do what's best for my friends and you."

"Xander, well…" Buffy stopped and looked up at Xander with wide eyes. "How are you going to get away with that? All of these guards loved Severus. Her wife I bet they loved just the same."

"That's something I don't know… I might need to talk to Cato…"

"Why Cato?"

"He knows Rome. He's been in this city for a while. He might know what to do."

Buffy nervously pulled the collar of her robe a little tighter. "Um, well, Xander. I'm on my way to the baths."

"Don't tell anyone of this matter. Go back and tell Willow and Dawn not to tell anyone either. Not even Cato. I want to tell him myself."

Buffy just stared at him.

"Anyone who knows about this, including Julia, can have me killed…" Xander finished.

Buffy swallowed. "I know. I won't. I mean, I will not tell anyone of your plans."

Xander smiled. "Good."

Cato's portion of his chamber had been transformed into a command post. Men and women were walking briskly in and out as Xander arrived.

Xander found Cato chatting with a few women servants, his eyes switching from one woman to the next. No one seemed to notice Licinius, who was issuing orders like a general to his palace workers. He had been shamed just moments before for leading Severus' murderer into his chambers. He seemed to have let that go and go about his business.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, Cato," Xander said, not bothering to restrain the sarcasm as he sat down on a chair beside Cato.

"Xander." Cato's eyes lit up and he motioned for the servants to go outside of his chambers.

"I need to talk to you about something important."

"Good." Cato adjusted his seating on his chair and glanced over at Licinius, who upon Xander's arrival had ceased giving orders and had a nervous glance directed at Xander. Cato noticed Licinius' tension and laughed lightly. "I hope you don't mind him. He needed a place to work since most of his officers were not at their post."

Xander glared at Licinius but eventually his anger gave way to tolerance.

"I know you're angry, Xander," Licinius said. "I brought the murderer into Caesar's room. We all miss him terribly. You know I am sorry, right?"

Xander nodded, carefully watching Licinius. He wondered what Licinius would do now, that his employer Severus, was dead. Xander certainly didn't want him as a bodyguard once he became Emperor.

"Licinius is actually just telling guardsmen the news of Caesar's death. It is very gloomy in here," Cato told Xander. "Most of the men have not been told yet-"

"How many soldiers have been told?" Xander broke in.

"Licinius has done about three or four."

"He'll have to quit it. I've got a speech to make very soon and I need to be the one who tells them."

"Xander, you know it is better for this news to be done in private," Cato told him sternly.

"Why private? Me becoming Emperor depends on telling them in public! If you tell them in private before my speech, they will suspect foul play and assume a conspiracy was hatched!"

"No one believes it was a conspiracy, Xander. Everyone saw them attack our gates," Licinius told Xander, referring to the Praetorian guardsmen.

"They did. Listen," he said, directing his attention back to Cato. "Maybe it'd be best if you knew what my speech is going to be about before you decide how our palace guardsmen should be told about Caesar's murder."

"Fine. What is your speech about?"

Xander shook his head at his predicament. He didn't know if Cato had the patience to listen to a lengthy explanation. He had looked like he had gotten no sleep and seemed frustrated at the night's occurrences just as much as anyone else felt.

Palace guardsmen and servants were crammed all around his room, spilling out into Willow and Dawn's chambers and jostling one another.

Other palace workers stood in the doorway, gawking, doing their best to find out what they could. Rumors washed like floods through the palace corridors.

At this point, Xander had begun to decide whether or not he should tell Cato of his plans with Licinius present. But with Licinius in command of palace guardsmen, maybe he could get his support and his speech would not be so tense in not knowing what guardsmen would do.

Cato straightened. "Well, Xander?"

"I'm going to announce myself taking over as Emperor," Xander explained, "but I'm also going to do something that might offend palace guardsmen." Xander whispered to Licinius, "What if I exiled Severus' wife and his children?"

"Riot," Licinius replied. "You know how angry our Romans are at what happened. They are going to look for any excuse to tear this palace down. They loved Severus."

Cato looked confused. "Exile?"

Xander and Licinius exchanged glances, and Xander considered how much to tell Cato straightaway. He wouldn't lie to him, but he wouldn't put it in such a term as if he was punishing Severus' wife and children.

"I want to take Julia and her family away from this mess here. It'd be too much of a shock for them to assume a new leader. They need to take some time away from the city," Xander said. "I want to take full responsibility of the affairs of state."

Cato seemed to consider this information. Then he shrugged and held up his hands. "Hey, if you're expecting me to give you advice on this matter, my son, you are talking to the wrong man. I heard you agree with her to marry her and that she would pay her guardsmen double to protect you. Now you are going to send her away? Does she concur with this?"

"No." Xander clasped Cato's shoulder and then his attention was caught as Licinius looked stunned.

"Treachery?" Licinius stared around, his eyes wide. He was surprised none of the men inside have caught what Xander had said. "You are going to tell her, say it, what shall you do?"

"I am not going to tell her. She will find out in my speech."

"This is not good news," Licinius murmured. "She's paying double for your protection and you will betray her. What kind of man are you?"

"I'm a good man. I'm not killing her. I just need her away. She is too overbearing for me and my friends…" Xander said with a frown, and Licinius groaned.

Despite the Emperor's murder and the constant threat of danger, Xander was happier than he had been in a long time, and he knew Cato was, as well.

"If she and I marry, it would essentially be a joint rule. She feels that she is entitled to power since her late husband was once Emperor. I would be under threat of danger constantly since she has friends with all of the guardsmen here," Xander pointed out, and Cato agreed.

Licinius didn't move, and just sat there searching Xander's eyes as though he could find the answers in them. "Why are you doing this? Furthermore, what makes you so certain you can get away with this? Your betrayal will be in front of all of her guardsmen." He paused and then said loudly, "my guardsmen!"

"I…" Xander hesitated. "It took me a while to realize that she is using me for her and her children's sake. When her children get older, she will just find a way to get rid of me for them…"

There was a heavy silence, and Licinius finally said, "I know what you are talking about, Xander. But she has always been loyal to her husband, Severus. What makes you feel she will be disloyal to you?"

"She hasn't been loyal to her husband." Xander heard the pain and bitterness in his voice. "She and I had an affair before Severus was killed."

Licinius was staring at him in disbelief. More than that, he was disbelieved that it seemed everyone in the room was busy and not hearing what was going on. At one point, Licinius felt like telling everyone what Xander was saying but another, he felt sympathy for Xander that he had not expected. "So you were intimate with her before… her being a willing participant?"

"She approached me first. She said she was sent by Severus to make me happy. She seemed to have an admiration for me and she was attracted by what I have done and my story of getting here than anything else." Xander was talking faster, now that his bottle of guiltiness was open and Licinius was listening instead of judging, it was coming more easily. "It was tough to cheat on Buffy like that. I let my impulses get the most out of me. The way she looked, smelt… she was so beautiful. Even now, I am having an affair with her, unbeknownst to Buffy. God, I love Buffy more than anything in this world. Why do I do this to her…"

As silence again fell, Xander leaned his head against the wall. Inside he felt hollow. Hollow and empty, but a little bit free after opening himself to Cato and Licinius. He whispered, "So now you know. You probably don't believe me. I won't blame you for that. What I can blame is myself for my actions. Julia was a willing participant but I could have said no."

"I believe you, Xander," Cato said firmly. "And I'd like for Julia and her family to get out of this mess. Whether it is done by betrayal or not, what you are doing is best for you and your friends."

Licinius stiffened. "Now… you need to tell me everything you can about what you want me and our guardsmen to do."

Xander glanced at Licinius and gave him a grave nod. "Yes."

Xander had returned to his chambers, where Julia was now gone from her bed. She must have been searching for him, he surmised. He had been at his desk for a half hour or so, often putting his head down on his desk for a brief nap. He had instructed Licinius to tell his guardsmen that he was going to send Julia and her children far away for their safety, since it sounded less offensive than putting them in exile. He told Licinius also that he would announce himself as becoming Emperor and that he would pay guardsmen extra money so they could be satisfied. Meanwhile, Trebonius had gone back to his chambers and retrieved a map showing places where Xander could send Julia and her children to exile. When Trebonius came into Xander's chambers, he was accompanied by a young servant boy.

"Caesar," Trebonius saluted.

Xander turned his head toward Trebonius and smirked. "Call me Xander."

"As I told you earlier, I have the places. It is possible we can add more-"

He was cut off by Xander's deep, husky voice. "Just show me."

With fluid ease, Trebonius produced a crumpled map from his pocket. Xander gratefully took it from Trebonius.

"I thank you for doing this, Trebonius," Xander uttered, digesting all of the contents of the map. He could tell where Rome was and his eyes searched the farthest place he could send Julia's family. On the farthest point of the small map, he saw a city called Sardis. It was separated from Rome by the Mediterranean Sea. "Now… what about this place called Sardis?"

"Yes Caesar!" Trebonis perked up instantly. "Sardis is a wonderful option. It is a city of great wealth and it is a place no one in Rome would perceive as a punishment."

Xander made it back to his feet. "You mentioned something about its great wealth. What does it have there?"

"Yes, Caesar," Trebonius replied eagerly. "It has an exquisite water supply that was donated by Emperor Claudius. It has a theater, stadium, a temple, and a gymnasium."

The room was spinning now for Xander, and the future Emperor could hear a distinct ringing in his ears. "And how do you suppose we can put her on a boat to there without her coming back?" Xander put his hand against his workbench for support.

"That can be arranged. Caesar." There was a clang as the iron door opened behind Trebonius, who now advanced on Xander with nervousness in his eyes. He knew it was Julia coming inside the room. "Give me the map. I will hire a group to force her and her children out. Best of luck to you, Xander." He grabbed the map from Xander's hands and turned away, heading for the open door, squeezing past Julia without acknowledging her presence.

Julia reached Xander, and put her free hand roughly on his shoulder. "Dear, where did you go? What were you talking about with Trebonius?"

"We were just talking about our experiences and stuff. I'm glad he's okay," Xander replied. A sickening feeling rushed through him suddenly, knowing he was actually starting to put his betrayal to action. "Where did you go, Julia?"

"I was searching for you, my dear," Julia said soothingly. "It seems that you are feeling tired. You must not. Your speech is due to happen quite soon."

Xander nodded. "I know."

"I do believe I got an idea for what you should say," Julia murmured. She handed Xander a scrap of paper, then watched Xander carefully as he scanned what was on it.

"Wow," Xander said, looking up. "You want me to mention that I killed Severus' murderer?"

"Yeah, it was just an idea I had," Julia said, blushing. She was filled with excitement and joy that Xander would accept her idea with praise. "I know Buffy was the one who did it. But admit you did it and you are going to get them on your side," she mumbled.

"So I'm going to be like Macbeth," Xander said.

"MacBeth?" Julia asked, puzzled.

"Well it's just a play I know about. He killed the previous king's servants in revenge for them killing the king. In fact, he was the one who killed the previous king but anyways…"

"So are you in favor of this idea?"

Xander nodded. "Yeah. It wouldn't hurt me. I'll just say I did it in a fit of anger like MacBeth said." Xander paused a moment before adding, "Is it okay if I lie about this when it concerns your husband?"

Julia smiled happily, but her eyes were filled with sadness. "Do I wish my husband was still here? Of course. But I have to move on and do what's best for my family." She reached out and clasped one of Xander's hands in her own. "You are my husband now, Xander. I want you to be safe."

"I will not dishonor Severus," Xander assured her.

"Of course you wouldn't. If you were the sort who would, I would not have ever considered marrying you in the first place. Or," she added with a sly look, "I would not consider marrying you at all if I felt you would dishonor me."

"I would honor you," Xander said. Somehow Xander was doing a good job of deception. But at the same time, he was feeling more and more guilty at what he was planning to do.

Julia nodded, turning away as she dabbed at her moistened eyes with her fingertips. "We should go to the gates where everyone is," she said, her brisk tone signaling that she'd like to move on and start his speech, "and perhaps prepare ourselves for what can be some unpredicted events."

Xander followed her out of the door. "There will be some unpredicted events I guarantee you," Xander said, implying his betrayal would occur to her shock. He mentioned this not to be arrogant but to hopefully, in some way, get Julia prepared emotionally for what she would hear from him.

"You may be right," Julia replied.

"But I-"

"Who is this?"

It was Buffy.

"Good morning, Buffy," Julia said cheerfully.

Buffy nodded at her, then turned to Xander and grumbled, "You look as if you're about to be executed."

"And that is such an unrealistic possibility, huh?" he shot back.

"If you're lucky," Buffy muttered.

Xander just gave her a look.

Buffy smirked right back in return. "And are we about to give a speech or what?"

"Yes, we are," Julia replied. "You can go inform your friends about it," Julia added forcefully.

"I can do it after a minute," Buffy muttered, feeling the tension between Julia and her. "Actually… I don't know if I should rather just accompany you Xander and watch your back, instead of being in the audience."

"You can be in the audience," Julia said.

"We are more to him than you are," Buffy said dismissively. "We were there for him when he needed us, and-" she motioned to a note Xander was carrying between his fingertips- "what's this?"

"Just a brief note for my speech," Xander answered.

Buffy snatched it away from Xander and glanced over it. She quickly let out a snort and swung around to face Julia. "You want him to say Xander killed Severus' assassin?"

"Yes… I know you did, but it would-"

"Don't the Romans know he killed Pulcher. Isn't that enough? I don't want everyone assuming he's killed so many men," Buffy stated.

"You don't get to make those decisions," Julia snapped. "You haven't even been in politics before."

Xander shrugged. "Neither have I."

"Well, it may be true, but you are taking guidance from me. I know a thing or two about politics," Julia felt compelled to point out.

"I'm going with Julia's decision, Buffy, and that's final," Xander announced.

She would have been annoyed by his arrogance, but the truth was, she knew he was acting and she was mostly just amused. "Very well," Buffy said. "You do what you feel is necessary, Xander."

"Good," he grunted.

"I like how you are handling her, Xander," Julia put in.

"Me too," Xander told Julia. He glanced at Buffy. "Now you should get your friends," he said in a caustic tone.

"Yeah. I'm going to find Willow, Dawn, Cato, and Brittany," Buffy said. "They don't want to miss this."

"I doubt they would," Xander said.

"I'll be back," Buffy replied sweetly, giving him a smooth pat on the arm.

Julia quickly swallowed a laugh. Xander hated how Julia was reacting, and Buffy knew it.

"Goodbye to both of you," Buffy said, turning to face Julia once before turning to Xander.

"Oh, right," Julia murmured. "Bye."

Buffy just grunted.

"Okay, I'd better go get them," Buffy said, and she turned and hurried down the corridors of the palace.

Julia let out an impatient breath. "You have too many women around you, Xander. All you need is one."

"One that you love."

It wasn't the nicest way of putting it, but it wasn't exactly inaccurate so she just said, "Well, yes, I suppose."

For a moment he said nothing, but he was watching her strangely, almost matter-of-factly, and then he said, his voice quiet, "You will be find a man that does. He would be a fool not to fall in love with you."

"Oh," she said, quite at a loss for words. "That's… That's… quite the nicest thing you've said to me until now. But based on what you told me earlier, then that would make you a fool…"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Julia," Xander said, looking tired and weary.

"I would never play you like that. You…" he cleared his throat. "You should be happy."

"I-" It was a strange thing for him to say, considering what they had shared together a few hours before. She hadn't the faintest clue how to reply, and so she just changed the subject and said, "You know what to say for this speech?"

He looked at her quizzically.

"I know you don't love me, Xander," she continued. "Last night was one of the best nights I've ever had. I've seen couples where one of their loves is not reciprocated but after time… they can love each other. It can work for you with me… I know it…"

He smiled, but the sentiment didn't quite reach his eyes. He didn't look angry, but hollow.

Julia was struck at how Xander appeared.

"Er, last night," Xander said, reaching up and tugging at his armor. "If I said anything to upset you…"

Julia watched his face. It was so dear to her, and she knew every last detail of it. But something was different now. He'd changed, but she wasn't sure how.

And she wasn't sure why.

"Everything is fine," she assured him.

"Anyway," he said abruptly. "I'm sorry for what I have said and what I might say…"

As they walked towards the front gates where Xander would give his speech, Julia wondered what Xander was actually apologizing for. And she couldn't escape the feeling that she wasn't cognizant of how he was feeling. Maybe, after his speech, she might know.

End of Chapter 38. Feedback much appreciated.


	39. Ancient Echoes

Chronicles of a Roman Emperor: Chapter 39

Xander whistled to himself as he walked through the main hall toward the gates , inordinately pleased with his situation. He'd spent the better part of the early morning in the company of his friends and he was now convinced he was going to make an excellent speech. He had told Trebonius and Licinius of his plans and he was comfortable that they would manage to do what they had said they were going to do.

And, Xander thought with a smile, about Buffy and her beauty, and more than once this morning he had caught himself looking at her, wondering how she'd feel in his arms, whether she'd respond to his kiss.

His body tightened at that possibility. It had been a while since he'd been with Buffy. More days than he cared to count.

And before he met Julia- well he didn't even consider being unfaithful to her, despite the fact that they'd have had many verbal arguments.

He'd been so melancholy following Acacia and Illeana's deaths. Xander had always seemed fragile and overly emotional since their murders, but it was only after he had committed adultery with Julia that he'd sunk into his own world of sorrow and despair. It had been sad for Xander, watching Buffy's hurt in her face and loneliness.

But even as he thought about this, he glanced at Julia who was walking silently beside him. She had no clue about what he was going to happen to her and her children. He hoped it would not be as traumatic as losing her husband. He knew she had been through a lot.

Then he looked in front of him as he neared the gates, enjoying his warm flush of desire at the thought of Buffy in an evening dress. He hoped it would be white. Buffy would look nice in white.

Xander's smile deepened. He knew Buffy would look better with nothing on at all.

A group of Romans were gathered at the front gates waiting anxiously to hear from someone as to where the Emperor was or the Emperor himself. Their anxiousness was exacerbated by the fact that many dead bloodied bodies of Roman women and men were strung around their feet. They did not know if they would share their fate or if those Praetorian guardsmen who had stormed the palace had taken over.

However the many men and women gathered were not the only ones who were nervous that morning. All of the palace guardsmen and soldiers who worked inside of the palace, including several assistants to the Emperor had seen the panic and uncertainty written on all of their own faces. They had survived a civil war just recently and now were sickened by the possibility of another one on the horizon. Now that their own Emperor's bodyguard had attacked the palace, they knew that no one was safe.

"I hope soon we find out what is going on in this hell!" one of the Roman men said loudly to all of the others, numbering around eighty Roman men and women, including some children.

Some took that painful fact badly, and were positively terrified. They hid behind pillars, ox carts, tables, hoping beyond hope that they would be spared from the Praetorian guardsmens' wrath. Others were surprisingly excited and relaxed, convinced that whoever would eventually address them would show respect to them.

"Hell is right," a young, blonde woman in her 20s muttered softly, biting her nails at the same time.

"So any ideas as to what is going to happen?" inquired a third different Roman. This one an elderly, overweight man. He was doing his best to drag out whatever moments of tranquility they had left.

"I don't know," responded the blonde woman. "Probably Caesar telling us everything is all right and go back to our homes. Or it could a Praetorian guardsman bastard."

There was a murmured agreement, but the man who had spoken first to break the ice interjected. "One of those two will probably happen. But we are a force to be reckoned with too. We should not easily follow orders from whoever speaks to us. We are the Roman people!"

From this, a large roar of Romans yelled in agreement at his statement.

Just then, the huge gates to the Imperial Palace burst open with a crash and an excited Roman came running in, shouting loudly:

"Xander is coming with Caesar's wife! There is no Caesar!"

Some Romans screamed, but others were evidently confused. "No Caesar?"

"Caesar is dead! He is fucking dead!" that same terrified Roman who had rushed through the gates added.

The groups of Romans were filled with panic, many women and men screaming in horror, but none could be heard over the echoing, deafening footsteps of Imperial guardsmen walking on the marble inside of the Imperial palace.

After what seemed like minutes of crying and yelling, the many Romans were eerily quiet, as if setting the stage for some inspiring speech.

Xander stood stiffly at the front gate, wishing that he hadn't arrived so early. It had seemed a good idea at the time, but now he had no idea why he had decided to do it at that moment. None of his friends were anywhere to be found. He should have realized they wouldn't be; Buffy and her friends were surely discussing what was going to happen in the palace. And the Romans standing outside the front gate all gave him queer looks, as if to say, 'What are you doing here?'

Xander lifted his chin as if to look proud and certain of what he was doing. He had to appear strong, at all costs.

He suspected that none of his friends were going to arrive for at least five minutes, and he was wondering if he might wait in a room inside of the palace. That was when he caught a flash of something white, and he realized it was Buffy, dashing about the palace in uncharacteristic frenzy. She spied him, and then rushed over. "Xander, oh lord, you are going to do it now, aren't you?" she asked.

He took in the frantic expression on her face. "Is something wrong?"

"Dawn has gotten sick."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said politely. "Will she be all right?"

"I don't know," Buffy replied somewhat sharply, considering she was talking about the health of her sister. "I haven't seen her. All I know is, she's not here."

Xander did his best to calm down his butterflies in his chest. "And the others?"

"They will be here soon. You should start your speech as soon as possible. There could be a leak about what you are about to do…"

Xander nodded quickly, as sweat began to form around his face. "Okay." He cleared his throat. "You go into the crowd."

She looked at him as if it were the last time. She could tell how nervous he was and glanced down at his hands, which were trembling. Then her eyes locked back on his. "I love you, Xander. Good luck."

"You go into the crowd. It'll be all right," Xander said, doing his best to comfort her.

Buffy's eyes softened and she gave him a weak smile. She couldn't fathom what he was going through right now. Without replying, she was off, squeezing through the opened front gates and immersing herself into the crowd. The crowd parted, and some called out her name, as she had been a local celebrity due to her work with Xander in killing Pulcher.

What was remarkable was that Julia seemed to have allowed Buffy and him to talk privately and kept a distance from them, not interfering once.

Xander looked back over to Julia. She appeared to be counting how many Romans were outside the front gates.

"Shall we do it?" Xander said with weary determination.

"Whatever you do, don't make them angry," Julia said back, not taking her eyes off the mob.

Xander gave her a withering stare and said, "I will do my best not to."

Xander thought he saw Julia stifle a laugh. Julia finally turned her glance towards Xander and saw him standing with a map in his hands. She gave him a little nod and smile.

As she did, Xander smiled too. In the background, about ten feet behind her, his eyes caught sight of Licinius, who also gave him a little nod, but this time without a smile. He knew that his betrayal was set to be done.

Xander did not miss a beat. He clamored the heavy front gates from opened to closed for his own safety. He saw a wooden table next to him and he pulled it towards the gates and stood on top of its worn firm surface. Now his chest up was showing over the gates and everyone could look at the man who hoped to become Emperor.

In the loudest, carrying voice he could muster, and without a moment's hesitation, he pointed his finger at the dead bodies surrounding the Roman mob and shouted, "This is what they did! Those Praetorian guardsmen! They killed our countrymen! They killed our Emperor!"

Inspired by his example, those Romans who were hiding came out into Xander's view to stand erect and proud in the devastated area. "Come on everyone! Have courage!" the first Roman who had spoken said, encouraging more of those to leave their hiding places.

Soon enough, everyone assembled to hear his inspiring speech, even some children.

"Roman men and women…" Xander trailed off as he saw many boys and girls scurry out from hiding spots to observe him. "Children… I am not surprised at your reaction to such a monstrous deed as an Emperor you loved being killed. But consider what our consequence will be if we allow what the Praetorian guardsmen had done to cause yet another Civil War! What they wanted! And imagine what sort of war that would be. We need not go far to guess! I take it… you have not forgotten some quite recent occurrences…"

Xander cut himself off, surprised at how staggeringly insightful and interesting his speech had started. He looked around at all of the Romans' faces, how they were practically begging him to speak more and he could notice their hunger for a leader.

Xander did his best to recall those events where he, Buffy, Trebonius, Durus, and Duratius had went on a mission to kill Pulcher and his men. He was surprised at how much clarity he had in recalling those events given his situation. He did his best not to realize how his stomach turned to acid at the notion that eventually he would send Julia and her children to exile. He cleared his throat.

"Me, Buffy," Xander glanced at Buffy in the crowd. "Trebonius… three of us who survived… Durus, Manlius and Duratius… three who did not… We Romans entered into a mission to kill the Praetorian Guard's leader, Pulcher, and his officers. We possessed nothing but our courage and with great resolve, we killed Pulcher and his leading officers. Those of us who survived were wounded. I suffered a stab wound in my lower abdomen. We all had done what was right to you Romans by avenging Pertinax's and Julianus' assassination…"

Romans in the crowd stood there for a moment, a little bit sad, a little bit reflective.

Xander knew that wasn't the reason he attacked Pulcher and his Praetorian guardsmen and Buffy, Cato, and his Sunnydale friends knew that too. He had done it for revenge of Pulcher's murders of Acacia and Illeana. But covering this lie with revenge for murders of both Emperors was more resonating with the Roman mob.

"What now… must we anticipate, will be our fate with Praetorian guardsmen claiming a third Emperor? These Praetorian guardsmen were made to protect our Emperors… not kill them! I am honored to tell you that Caesar's assassin was killed with my own hands and all other conspirators have been captured and many others have been killed. I ask you now… is there anyone of you who is willing to let another great leader like Severus be killed and left at the mercy of his own bodyguard?"

"No!" everyone shouted in a resonating chorus of cheers. A bunch of swords were unsheathed to war cries of "Down with Praetorians!" and "Let's kill those captured!"

"For god's sake, men, let us not go through this endless story of one Emperor killed, another one made. No is right. No… we will not let this instability go on. Every city in this Empire expects us to crumble and give way to new leaders like the changing of weather. I am at my wits' end, ladies and gentlemen, of sorting through this mess. I pray you Romans do not have to go through this again… Tell me, Romans, do you want your Emperors to die like this?"

"No!" most of the Romans shouted in unison. Those who were armed with swords thundered through the crowd and bodies, running and clanking their swords at the front gates, right below where Xander was standing, banging for combat against Praetorians.

"Who is our Emperor now?" that Roman who had spoken among them first, called out over the crescendo of cheers.

Willow, Brittany, and Cato came into view from inside of the Palace. Xander watched as they stepped towards his left and approached him, gazing at him in awe and wonder.

Xander thought for a moment about how he was going to tell them. Should he risk everything and ask them, knowing full well of his popularity that they would likely say yes. Or should he be assertive and tell them that he was their new emperor, while at the same time, perhaps rubbing them the wrong way as they can interpret him as being arrogant and power hungry.

Xander glanced back towards the crowd and caught Buffy, who was gazing lovingly at him and beamed. It was as if to say, 'You can do it.'

Despite the pause, Xander managed to stave off any uneasiness amongst the crowd by keeping his chin level and his gaze sharp and at the crowd.

He did his best to keep his hands from trembling, as well as his stomach. He knew there was no escaping it. He swallowed uncomfortably. Until this point, he had captivated his audience and done so well that he could not have dreamt more of a perfect speech. But now was gut check time.

"Romans," Xander said, and he motioned to Julia, who was standing beside the wooden table. "This is Caesar's wife. Give her your sympathies…"

They all turned to the dark-haired woman standing quietly to the side and slightly covered by the front gate. She was simply gorgeous. Everything to the crowd about her was perfection, from her shiny hair to her skin. Her face was heart-shaped, her lips full and pink, and her eyes blue like the sky.

A respectful applause broke out for Severus' former wife. Even the men brandishing swords a few feet away from her, sheathed their swords, and clapped in front of her.

Xander started, clearly surprised at how appreciated Julia was amongst the Romans. 'Shit,' Xander thought to himself. 'How am I going to put her to exile?' He had said 'give her your sympathies' to buy him some time about how to tell them he was going to become Emperor. He also had to geto get an idea of how much Romans liked her so he can find out if there might be a riot if he sent her away. So far, it looked grim for him if he pursued what he was about to do.

"She more than anyone…" Xander began. He looked at Julia, his eyes meeting hers with grave uncertainty. She simply nodded back at him with the same expression, telling him through that gesture that he needed to tell them. "Has a right to honor her dead husband by suggesting his replacement," he said, his shaky breath a sign of his nerves. "She suggested with great consideration that I should assume role of Emperor and I accepted."

A collective gasp swept across the crowd as Xander announced the news, followed by a period of stunned silence. Xander had known it was only a matter of time before he told them, but now it was declared it made it real and he was shocked as everyone else. From his position, standing on the wooden table, he had a good view of the whole crowd. He glanced to his right and his gaze fell upon a group of Romans, all mirroring his disbelief. His eyes sought out one person in particular, the one whom he loved; Buffy.

He took in her profile from where she stood, her face had transformed from the happy, spirited girl he once knew to a look of shock and sorrow that he would do anything to take away. Buffy, who was looking at the crowd's reaction herself, turned her head towards Xander. Xander's breath caught in his throat as he caught her gaze and held it, a look of concern fluttered across her soft features before her eyes returned to the crowd.

"We have a new Caesar!" Buffy shouted happily, taking initiative, hoping the crowd would follow suit with her excitement.

Luckily, spontaneously the crowd erupted and cheered, screaming and calling out Caesar.

Buffy couldn't help but grin at what she was witnessing.

Xander watched as men, women, and children were looking at him with faces of immense pleasure and their voices ringed in his ears, 'Caesar! Caesar! Caesar!" Buffy had done it. He looked at Buffy and once he knew she got his attention, he murmured so Buffy could make out what he was saying, 'Thank you.'

Buffy flashed him a quick grin, then returned her attention to the crowd. Xander watched her, fascinated by the way she had managed to turn an unsettling quietness to a joyous celebration.

Observing the crowd's reaction intently as well, Julia turned to face Xander and said sternly, "Now is a good time to tell them you are marrying me," Julia pressed. "These Romans will agree with anything you say now."

"I hope so."

Xander laughed nervously, then lifted the map he was holding in his right hand to his face. Xander stared at the picture of that country on the map for several seconds before glancing back at Julia. He watched as amusement seeped from her eyes, replaced by unmistakable nervousness.

Julia kept her gaze on what Xander was looking at and said loudly, "What is that?"

Xander lowered the map to his side, clutching it tightly. "Thank you my fellow Romans." Xander's commanding presence ultimately hushed the noisy crowd of mixed amazement and happiness. "I would like to thank you for your warm response at this news. I am honored to lead you. Our future lies in our hands now, and if we refuse to end this bloodshed and inner dissension among our Romans, we shall perhaps be forced to have once more, increasing nonsensical losses of our friends, family members, and leaders. For my own part, I have gotten to this position not by plan but by good fortune and good luck…"

The crowd went on cheering as he paused on his speech. Then as he signaled he was going to speak, the crowd grew silent. Despite his increasing tension about sending Julia and her children to exile, he felt like he needed to let out his emotions he had kept inside for so long. He didn't care if it was in front of a hundred people or not. "My dream wasn't to have this job, but this crisis changed me. I understood that, through my time in Rome, my true intentions are protecting the people I love and care about…" Xander took a quick look at Buffy and then whipped his head to his left at Cato, Brittany, and Willow. His eyes widened as he saw a distraught Dawn standing beside them. Dawn was looking down, too nervous to watch the events unfold. Quickly, Xander somehow managed to swallow down his nerves and turn his attention back to the crowd of Romans. He started again, "From my travels, I met a lot of people, all of them taught me something." Then he prepared himself to list out the names of Romans he had met in Rome and add how he appreciated what he gained from one of them. Xander choked back a sob as he began to speak. "Cato… He was a father I didn't have as a child," Xander's gaze traveled over to Cato, whose face was showing evidence of kindness and love. He nodded back at Xander. Xander sighed, realizing it was going to be challenging to carry on mentioning names of those who impacted him, especially after recalling how his father used to abuse him and his mother. "Cimberius… Without him, I wouldn't be here…" The crowd cheered upon hearing his name. They must have recalled at how at his funeral, Severus had made a great speech about his martyrdom of going to kill Praetorian guardsmen. Xander knew how important Cimberius was to him and he went on, "He showed me how to fight but more importantly, on how to become a man. Cimberus' grandfather, Paulus. He took care of my love while I was gone away at camp…" Xander looked up through his fresh tears to see Buffy looking at him, smiling comfortingly through her own tears. Returning the smile, Xander looked back up to the front of the crowd. "Duratius… who trusted me when I didn't even trust myself and died helping me kill Pulcher and Caesar's assasins. Trebonius… I…" Xander cut himself off as he searched behind him for Trebonius. When he found him brandishing a sword, prepared to forcibly take away Julia, his heart sank but Trebonius, despite being stern, acknowledged Xander's sign of respect and nodded through his determined brown eyes. Xander added while staring at Trebonius, "You survived our killing of Pulcher. You are a good friend." As his eyes moved back towards the crowd, he caught an impatient stare from Julia. He knew she was waiting for her name to be called as his new wife, but he also saw in her some justifiable doubt that had crept in her gaze. As he got a glimpse of the crowd, he was stunned to notice two familiar faces in the crowd. It was Acacia and Illeana. "Oh my god," Xander said to himself, his voice full of sadness.

"What is it?" Julia asked nervously. She could tell that Xander had caught sight of something and looked literally, as if he had seen a ghost.

Xander knew they were ghosts and they seemed out of place within the crowd. Acacia was stunningly beautiful, with her long, straight dark hair, big dark eyes, and light olive skin. Standing beside her was her equally as beautiful daughter, Illeana, with ashen-blonde wavy hair, sky blue eyes, and pale skin. They were motionless but their stare pierced right through Xander.

Xander stepped along the table he was standing on, moving towards the edge right next to the gate so he could get a better look at them. They were physical beings and he was really witnessing them. "Acacia and Illeana," he smiled as he spoke loudly at the two ghosts, who were staring blankly at him. "You two… Cato's wife and daughter… Meant the world to me. Sorry I couldn't save you but I avenged your deaths… You know that right?"

The crowd of Romans, assuming he was delirious or not knowing he was making a conversation with dead people, gave him a hearty laugh. Some Romans pointed at Xander and laughed.

"Who is he talking to? Hahaha!" one Roman male Xander heard amongst the crowd said.

"One sane emperor exchanged for an insane one! Too funny to be true!" another yelled, this time a female.

Xander kept his bright gaze on Acacia and Illeana's faces, who had the same expression as they did before. So he didn't notice Cato's smile that for a fleeting moment, curved his lips. Cato knew Xander was observing his wife and daughter. He stood on his toes to get a better look at where Xander was looking but did not notice them.

When finally Xander was about to break away his gaze, he caught them flush slightly pink and both had small smiles on their glowing faces.

Xander stepped back on the table, away from the gates, and as he did, the two full body apparitions vanished from sight amongst the crowd.

Xander's sadness and coldness was immediately brought back to his demeanor as he realized that they were gone. He took in their beautiful features as mother and daughter, and he could only be glad that they were satisfied with what had driven him passionately for revenge of their senseless murders.

Luckily, the boisterous crowd seemed to overlook what Xander had done and as Xander looked back at them, and he could tell they were emotionally moved by what he was saying.

"These people I mentioned…" Xander continued, "I stand here today, in your presence, in amazement and wonder at how I had got here, for I am neither a rich man nor a bright one and I cannot promise you a reign fancy and elegant, but I promise you these same people I mentioned are all around me even today and will make me fight on your behalf until I die…" Xander paused and looked down, immediately understanding that as Emperor he might die young. When he looked back at the crowd, his eyes locked on Buffy's.

Romans who were listening to his speech then glanced at both Xander and Buffy, while Buffy was shedding a tear in her eyes out of happiness.

"Buffy… I might have done things to hurt you, but I promise you I will not hurt you again…" Xander said, feeling embarrassed, as he should be. He had been unfaithful to her. And he had been arrogant, assuming he could sleep with any woman he wished. Though normally he was not an arrogant man. "It occurred to me," he said. "That if I marry, I would rather marry you than any other woman I would meet in Gerasa or Rome or anyone else I am likely to meet in another city. Indeed, I would rather marry you than anyone else at all."

Xander's statement elicited cheers from the crowd but had silenced Julia. After she took a moment to properly digest what she had heard, she growled and snatched Xander's arm with her hand. She looked up at him with wide, startled eyes. Her lips were parted.

"Marry her?" she said with a hiss. She cleared her throat. "Marry her?"

"Yes." Xander clasped her hand on his arm gently and leaned slightly toward her, noting in some relief that they had drawn clear of the crowds due to the gate concealing them. "I apologize for what I'm doing Julia…"

"Apologize? I can have you killed!" Julia asked, looking bewildered now. "Take back what you said, now!"

"Like I said, I am sorry," Xander said with a smirk.

Julia gasped and stepped back, letting go of his arm. Outrage and disgust ripped through her. In a single, swift motion she pulled a knife from her hip, hidden underneath her purple dress and lunged to stab him. Xander reached out his right arm to grab Julia's arm with the knife, but before he could grab it, Trebonius struck the knife out from Julia's hands with his backhand.

"You have precisely two seconds to leave," Trebonius said in a deadly voice.

Julia narrowed her eyes at Trebonius who imposed his body on hers. Her lips curled back, showing her teeth gritted with anger. "And if I don't?"

Trebonius unsheathed his sword and pressed the point of his blade under her ribs. "Then we will make you." He pressed the sword in much firmer and Julia sucked in a quick breath. "Shall we go?"

A combination of hatred and fear flickered in Julia's eyes. She looked at Xander, who was looking down at her in apologetic eyes. Once she realized he was not going to assist her, she looked back at Trebonius and shook her head, stepped back, then disappeared into the shadowy alleyway where several other men, including Licinius enveloped her. Their footfalls echoed as they left, then fell to silence.

Even after she was gone for several moments, Xander kept his eyes staring off into space where Julia once stood beside him. It made it feel less real. Of course, Xander knew perfectly well he was going to have to explain away what had happened. This meant making it more real for him. But he wasn't anxious to turn his eyes away just yet.

To his credit, he hadn't panicked. He knew he was almost done with this speech.

But what flat-out terrified him was how this crowd would react when he told them about Julia and her children's relocation. He'd only seen how crowds reacted to Severus before and based on how he had seen and heard sympathy for Julia a few minutes before, he didn't know what to expect. Xander knew, however, that it would take a huge blunder on his part to turn the crowd against him, as he knew they were presently mesmerized by him.

Forcing himself not to be nervous about it anymore, his eyes darted towards the crowd, and he positioned himself in front of them.

"Everyone," Xander boomed in his heartiest voice. His eyes passed through scores of Romans' faces and settled on a old woman's face. He looked her over. "Julia and her two children, out of terror for their own lives, have decided to live in Sardis for now..."

That same old woman gave him a suspicious look, who then caught sight of the several soldiers scurrying away behind Xander. Those soldiers were taking Julia with them to her two children; where from there, would be taken away by boat towards Sardis.

Xander turned his gaze away from that woman's face, hoping her reaction was not uniform among everyone else, and luckily it didn't seem that way. Some faces were smiling, others were confused, and the rest were angry. Xander assumed their anger had more to do with what happened to her husband than to what they were doing.

Xander cast an apologetic look towards those faces he was nervous about, including the armed soldiers just below him, who didn't seem agitated by what he had said.

"It seems that no one is safe in these times," Xander was quick to add, then held his breath to await their reaction.

Xander looked from the soldiers below him to Buffy then back towards the masses. "You know I am sad as you are to watch them leave Rome," Xander said, his tone stern. "Julia's a fine woman. If she makes you happy because she reminds you of Severus, I don't blame you. She will be back to Rome, but you have to understand what she and her children must be going through..."

Most of the Romans nodded their heads. Then one man spoke out, giving Xander a reassuring nod. "We understand Caesar. We will trust you..."

Nearly all of the Romans vocalized their support in unison.

Xander felt relief wash through him. Tears stung his eyes. This was far more support than he'd expected. "Thank you so much for your support. I trust you too..."

"You might need to have some children of your own!" one husky voice from a man yelled.

Buffy listened to the voice and feigned a scowl. "You might need to be careful of what you say," Buffy told that voice indignantly.

That same voice laughed. "If he dies, then who would be our next Emperor? A gladiator?"

Buffy couldn't help but join in the laughter, as did everyone in the crowd. The tension in the crowd was a thing of the past. Even Xander couldn't help but giggle.

"Having children will be a priority my friend," Xander said approvingly to that man.

"Is it now?" Buffy asked Xander, her gaze on him warm.

Xander watched Buffy as she started to walk towards the gates. Then, once Buffy was assured of her safety and stood before the gates, he nodded his welcome, then said, "Let's get something to eat Buff. You know-"

But he was cut off by a sharp cough to get his attention.

Xander peered behind Buffy to find out who had made the noise.

"Beg your pardon, Caesar," a Roman woman said. "What about the Christians? Severus instituted a policy of either they repent or be executed? Are you going to disregard this policy?"

Xander leaned forward to get a better glimpse of the lady who had asked him. She was most likely in her 30s, had brown eyes and hair and had a pretty physique. She did not seem like she was asking simply to cause trouble. "That's...er..." Very well, he had no idea how to respond to their liking, but he knew persecution of Christians would not be something he would do, regardless of public opinion. "Yes I am..." Xander gave her a quick, awkward smile before crouching, then leaning over so that he might jump off the table. "I have to leave. I have important business that is waiting for me."

"What do you mean... yes? We hate Christians!" her frustrated reply came back after a few moments of silence. After she spoke, the crowd erupted in agreement.

"What?" Xander froze, bent over like a crone.

She looked at him in surprise. "Are you going to give Christians their rights?"

"That will be decided after some time," Xander managed to say. He was shocked at how shameless their prejudice was. Since the majority was against him and how passionate their feelings were against Christians, he didn't know if he should stand by his position of giving Christians their rights. He cleared his throat. "Don't you care about other important issues, like taxes?"

"We care... but we want to know what you're position is?" she said abruptly.

The Romans, his guardsmen, friends, and even Buffy glanced at him strangely. Xander on the other hand merely glanced at the crowd coldly, oblivious of the fact that all eyes behind him were on him. "Can this wait?" he asked coldly towards the masses.

"If you are to be our Emperor, you need to call out your position on this subject. There are increasing Christians in this city. We don't like it." She stated while Xander merely shook his head.

"Give me some time to decide this issue." Xander exclaimed loudly, causing the crowd to gasp in shock while the same woman who was causing a fuss growled in anger. Despite their distance, Xander could tell her brown eyes, hidden under her dark, brown hair, was full of hate and displeasure.

She then smirked coldly, her eyes becoming darker as she looked around the crowd. "Who is this... Xander? Do we even know where he is from? What is his religion? He could be a Christian!"

"Xander... you need to end this speech," Buffy prompted urgently, looking around at the crowd's restlessness.

"Buffy."

Buffy stared at Xander. Xander's voice was impatient, but his face held a hint of concern. "Get in," he said angrily, while not taking his eyes off the crowd.

Buffy nodded and did as he said, opening and closing the gates as Xander finally left his position of kneeling over on the table and hopped to the ground. "Xander," she said, doing her best to calm him down. She could tell that this surprise was not something Xander appreciated. She also knew it was a dangerous position for Xander to disagree with them on. "Say what they want to hear, damn it."

Xander was so sick of the hatred he had encountered while he had been in Rome. He was sick of the hatred of the Praetorian against the Emperor. He was sick of his own hatred towards Pulcher and his men for their role in Acacia, Illeana, and Cimberius' deaths. But he was most sick, in particular, of the hatred of people just because of their religion.

It would be too easy to agree with them and move on. But he himself was a Christian. Albeit, not a serious one. But a Christian nonetheless. He had to end this.

"Oh come on, my fellow Romans," Xander said, and Buffy didn't need to look at Xander's face to know his expression would be patronizing and skeptical. "I am a Roman just like you. Do you actually feel that Severus would be a friend of mine if I wasn't a Roman?"

"But do you have any royal blood?" she said in a frustrated voice.

Xander gritted his teeth together. "Okay... I got to go..." Xander muttered, since he understood it wasn't worth it, explaining it to her and them.

She let out a breath, and even that managed to sound condescending. "We support you but..."

"What's your name?" Xander interrupted her.

She looked at him accusingly. "Annia."

"Annia." Xander frowned. "Since you seem to represent Romans well... I ask you to meet me in my Imperial Palace this afternoon so we can discuss this issue together and hopefully we can come to an agreement."

"As you wish." She gave him a look as if she was telling him, 'There is no way you are going to like what I am going to say.' "How am I to meet you?"

Xander stood beside Buffy, and soon his friends came to his side to join him as well. He calculated how much time he needed to discuss this issue. A few hours seemed exactly the right length of time. "You come through these gates... which from now on will be locked..." Xander glanced at some guardsmen, and motioned them to guard the gates. He stared at one guardsman and said, "Let Annia in after a couple of hours."

"Xander," Buffy said, shaking her head. "It was a superb speech on your part. But why are you doing this...?"

Xander looked at her.

She looked at him.

He looked at her more deeply. "Doing what?" he asked carefully.

Her cheeks turned slightly pink. "Well," she said, glancing off towards the palace courtyard, "I realize that we are to be married..." She paused and then added, "I want some alone time with you now. Enough politics for one day..."

Xander stared at her, giving her a reassuring nod. "I promise it will end after I talk to this woman. She is-"

"A bitch," Buffy finished for him. "I know."

"No," Xander said, drawing out his response as to give himself to prepare what he was going to say. "She seems to be someone of importance."

"Okay, whatever you say," Buffy said with a shrug. "Just make it quick."

"I will," Xander murmured.

Buffy glanced back at the crowd, who were chattering among themselves, then to Xander. "They were impressed with your speech, Xander," Buffy murmured sympathetically. "You are Emperor now..."

"I suppose I am." Xander blew out a breath. "Buff, we are honestly better off lying low. They are too tense and moody. It's better we don't do anything radical now."

"Speak for yourself." Buffy frowned. "You should have said you would not give them rights. You can change that policy later after things cool down..."

"God almighty." Xander ran a hand through his hair. "That was work." Xander sighed, then smiled, recalling how Buffy had announced him Emperor and had shifted the tension the crowd was feeling to enjoyment. He looked at her with a warm smile. "Thanks Buffy for... you know..."

"My pleasure," Buffy replied. "If I had not said anything, Annia could have said something against you and who knows what could have happened. You know... maybe I should talk to her myself..."

"Don't do it." Xander pointed a warning finger at Buffy's chest. "She is very bold and has the crowd at her fingertips. Trust me, I wanted to get rid of her too, but-"

"She's a pretty woman?"

"It's nothing like that, Buffy," Xander assured her, "and I don't blame you for feeling that way. You know... I hate ignorance. Since most of them seem to believe in her, I feel like If I can convince her that Christians are good people then maybe she can help resonate that with others..."

"So, use her as a messenger?" Buffy asked as they started to move and head towards their friends, "but how do you know she'll agree?"

"I'm Emperor as you said-" Xander poked that finger at his chest this time- "She has to do what I suggest. But at the same time, I don't want to force her..." Xander trailed off, noticing Buffy's unconvinced face. "Leave it to me."

"Xander... you're not doing something radical are you?"

"Kind of contradicting myself aren't I?" Xander retorted. "She's not what she seems like, Buffy."

"Of course she isn't." Buffy sighed. "But we rule the world. Let's not let this interfere with it."

Xander narrowed his gaze at Buffy, put his hands on his hips, and started to say something, but decided against it.

Willow, Dawn, Brittany, and Cato stood arm to arm as Xander came walking over to them. He expressed how much he was thankful they were by his side, and gave each of them a bear hug. Everyone told him they were thankful too and that they loved him. Then, Xander stood right in front of Cato, and looked into his eyes. All of his friends watched carefully.

"Cato, I saw your wife and child. They were smiling," Xander cried. Tears ran down his cheeks as he wiped much of it away.

Cato did his best to wipe away his own. "Thanks to you. Thank you for avenging their deaths."

"I'm telling you, Cato," Willow whispered, her arm wrapping around Xander and pulling him closer. She glanced at Cato with a smile. "He's the best man I know!"

Brittany snorted, obviously not convinced. "So what if he is? You don't know many men..."

"I suppose you're right," Willow relented. "Nonetheless, he is my favorite..."

"Okay enough praise for one morning," Xander said.

Willow shook her head. "Not enough."

Xander looked at Dawn, who Buffy had told him earlier was feeling sick. "You okay Dawn? Buffy told me you weren't feeling well."

Dawn lowered her head and Xander could notice that this was embarrassing for Dawn.

Dawn raised her head. "I just love you so much that I couldn't bare the idea that something could happen to you during your speech."

"Thank you for feeling that way, Dawn," Xander whispered, and he meant it.

"I should tell you that I love you more than a friend, Xander." She paused. "Deep down, I know if I could do everything over again, I would have wished I was here in Rome with you instead of Buffy. " Her eyes held onto Xander's. "I'm not just saying that, either. I mean it."

Xander whisked a strand of thick auburn hair from her face. Although what Dawn had told him was serious, Xander knew to him, Dawn was always that young girl who had a crush on him. "I know you do."

Dawn looked away. She had to force herself not to kiss him in front of Buffy and all of her friends.

Buffy was shocked to see tears glistening in Dawn's eyes. At first, she had assumed Dawn just had an innocent crush on Xander, but based on how it was affecting her, Buffy knew that it was more serious than she had expected. "Oh, Dawn," Buffy said next. "We all love him."

Xander smiled briefly at Buffy's remark. He knew Buffy was talking about herself, Dawn, Willow, and Brittany. He also knew that it was true, since he knew if he had asked them besides Buffy, to marry him, they would do so. "I know that you guys do," Xander spoke softly. "There's other men out there who can satisfy you..." Xander caught himself when he saw Willow's surprised look. "Oh, sorry... I meant other men and women out there..."

Dawn's voice shook. "I don't want anyone..."

Xander nodded gravely. "I know."

Then to everyone's astonishment, Dawn burst into tears. "I'm so sorry, Buffy, so sorry."

Xander pushed himself gently out of Willow's arms, and a moment later, Xander and Dawn were hugging each other, weeping together.

Willow looked at Buffy, who shrugged. Brittany tugged at Willow's white dress and whispered so only Willow could hear, "Don't you feel the same way as Dawn?" she asked in a loud whisper, leaning toward Willow.

Willow sighed and looked at Brittany. "Yes, but... I've accepted that he's marrying Buffy... Dawn hasn't."

"Will they be okay?" Brittany whispered once more.

Willow placed her arm around Brittany this time. "I hope so," she said.

As quickly as Xander and Dawn had tears flowing down their cheeks, they started to laugh, rubbing their eyes with their fingers, sniffing in their nose and giggling like kids. They were happy now.

Buffy began to giggle, too. Soon Willow and Brittany joined in. Cato just watched on with a smile on his face.

"I love you guys!" Xander said. Everyone all started laughing, all knowing how lucky they were to be together and safe.


	40. The Consul's Daughter

Xander walked into the throne room. He walked as quickly as he could to the opposite side of the room and sat down on the throne where Severus and Emperors before him had sat.

He had been followed by a bunch of servants who had seemingly came out of nowhere.

"Is there anything you want, Caesar?" one of the several servants in the room said as they watched Xander hang his head low.

Xander shrugged, wishing his servants would leave him alone after serving breakfast. Where was Annia? He had separated from his friends so he could get properly dressed for a meeting in his throne room with Annia, including putting on a cape, and had told Buffy, in particular, to wait for him afterwards.

"Are you going to leave me alone…?" Xander asked.

"Marcus…" he said. "I should be by your side, Caesar."

Xander got to his feet and stood towering over him. Gone was his playfulness and humor. "Fine, you stand by my side," he said firmly. He glanced at the other servants surrounding him. "Why don't you go, please!"

Marcus swallowed a gulp down his throat. "Yes Caesar."

"You guys have followed me around for fifteen minutes. You should know when to leave a man alone!" Xander said coldly.

Annia arrived at the front gates made of steel that cast a huge shadow over her. At the gate were two guards dressed in brownish armor. Both had expectant expressions on their faces. Annia winced. Her head throbbed from the sight of the Imperial Palace and the heat was not helping, either. The front gate was opened by one of the guards and before she could say anything, she was shoved in by the other one.

"Come on, woman. Caesar has other things to do," one of the guards grinned, showing yellow teeth. Too weary to reply, she stumbled forward into a great, well-lit courtyard. At the back, she noticed a room that was surrounded outside by two guards standing at each side. That was the Emperor's room she knew.

Once she had been escorted by the two gate guards, she entered into the Emperor's room and saw at the back of the room was a golden throne and on it was Xander in a black cape. The Emperor smiled smugly at Annia.

Marcus, an assistant who stood at his side, whispered to him, "Caesar, please make it quick. We got other important matters to attend to."

Xander forced a smile at hearing what Marcus said while looking at Annia who gave him an icy stare. "Annia, first tell me… who are you related to? Soldier? Senator?" After he had spoke, Xander looked at her and she stared straight back at him.

Annia had to behave strong and defiant. As she looked into Xander's eyes, however, she felt a tingly sensation in her stomach that was neither pleasant nor unpleasant. Suddenly nervous of the feeling Annia looked away. The sensation stopped, and she stole a quick glance at Xander who had turned to his assistant.

"Leave," Xander told Marcus firmly.

Marcus opened his mouth to reply but at that moment another assistant tugged on his shoulder to pull him away. Relieved, Xander turned back to face Annia.

"So… like I said… you sounded like you have connections?" Xander asked, and Annia shrugged her shoulders, grinning. "So you don't want to reveal that to me, huh? Well why don't we get down to business?" Xander sighed.

Annia looked at him, annoyed. "What business? Almost every citizen in the city hates Christians and Jews. But most especially Christians…"

Xander raised his hands in mock defense. "Okay, okay…" he teased. "Geesh. Moody much?"

"You better not be overturning Severus' laws," Annia warned. "They were very popular."

Xander looked thoughtful. "Yes, maybe I shouldn't," he mused. "But then again, sometimes you got to go against public opinion for something you believe is right."

Annia was speechless.

"Listen… Annia… Everyone has a right to believe in whatever they want to believe." Xander drew his breath in sharply.

Annia hung her head low towards her feet, resigned.

"So what if they are different? Why are you so passionate about this?"

"Why should I tell you?" Annia asked back, her tone firm.

"You don't have to tell me anything. You're my guest!" Xander exclaimed in surprise. "But rallying all of the Romans outside against me is a bit… much."

"Rallying them against you? Sorry but not all of us are sheep," Annia returned.

"You are very bold," Xander said vaguely. "You wouldn't be that bold if you weren't connected to any powerful Romans…"

"And since when have you decided that I know someone powerful?" Annia felt extremely annoyed. "Xander, you have some nerve. Who my family and friends are, is none of your business!"

There was a slight pause in which Annia held her breath. She shouldn't have been so forceful. She could have made him so angry that he would call for her execution. "Well?" she inquired, her heart pounding. "What are you going to say?"

"Well… I was going to say I'd like to meet your family and friends," Xander said coolly. "You seem like a really excellent person. They must share your qualities as well."

"Oh, give me a break…" Annia mumbled irritably under her breath. What came next, however, took her completely by surprise.

"I invited you here because I knew you were someone special," Xander said.

Annia snorted with laughter, at how silly he sounded. "Okay…"

"-You can captivate a crowd. Oh, and did I mention that you're very pretty?" Xander looked at Annia with a smile and she ignored his gaze.

Annia stared at her feet. "Fine, so you admire me. So are you going to execute me?" she muttered glumly.

"No!" Xander exclaimed. "Annia, why are you nervous about that?" Xander looked at her quizzically. He had a mocking smile on his face. "You okay?"

"Yes, whatever," Annia replied, immensely vexed. "You're annoying to talk to, you know that?"

"Okay, you're nervous because I called you in for a private chat," Xander cut in quickly. "No reason to be. I wanted to get to know you. That's all."

"You're not going to kill me?" Annia stammered.

"No." Xander smiled at her innocent face. "You're a guest. A friend."

"Friend?" Annia asked. There was an awkward silence in which Xander searched for something to say while she held her breath. Xander opened his mouth to speak, and Annia's heart leaped.

Then there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Xander said, and Annia detected a hint of relief in his voice.

Annia bit back her disappointment, glancing at a well-dressed man at the door.

"Caesar, Falco is waiting outside. I have no idea what he wants to talk to you about-"

'Who the hell is Falco?' Xander wondered. "Thank you, Cato, you may go. I'll deal with him."

Annia's heart skipped a beat. Could her father be visiting there because she was there?

"Let me go with you-" Annia began, but Xander held up his hand, smiling at her.

"No. Wait here. I can take care of this alone."

Annia shook her head furiously, berating herself. 'Why didn't she tell him she was a daughter of a Consul?'

Xander observed two guardsmen before scanning his visitor with distaste. Xander then forced

a grin, while inside he was nervous.

"Falco, what a pleasant surprise! What brings you here on such short notice?" Xander asked enthusiastically and watched as Falco's ugly features distorted.

Falco spit on the ground and Xander suppressed a shudder.

"Don't play nice to me, Xander," Falco jeered, pressing his face close to Xander's. "I heard you were discussing something important in private with my girl. Let her go. Now."

"You're girl?" Xander laughed nervously. "I hope you mean you're daughter…"

"Yes, my daughter. I don't give a damn if you're Emperor now or not," Falco cackled. "If you lay a hand on her, I swear…" Falco glanced at the two guardsmen and motioned them to leave as suddenly as they had come. "Let's go men."

Xander watched them leave, immediately proud, but when they were out of sight he turned and walked nervously towards his throne room. "I knew she knew someone powerful," Xander mumbled somewhat angrily. "I shouldn't have been so nice to her…"

"Xander!" a familiar voice called.

Xander whipped around to notice Cato.

"Xander, you know who that was, right?" Cato panted.

Xander shook his head. "No. Who is he?"

"That was Pompeius Falco. He's consul."

"Consul?" Xander tilted his head in confusion.

"Second most powerful man in Rome," Cato said simply.

Xander's jaw dropped. "What? I got to talk to this woman."

Xander cleared his throat nervously as Cato stared at him. Without saying anything else, he disappeared into his throne room.

Xander gestured to Annia. "Let's get some fresh air."

Annia shook her head. "No. I like it here."

"I suppose we can talk here."

"Well… if you want," Annia conceded, and Xander joined her without hesitation. Both of them sat down on chairs situated at the side of the room. They sat in silence for a moment before Xander broke the ice.

"Your father cares about you," Xander mused.

"Yeah… Are you angry that I didn't tell you?" Annia asked curiously.

Xander shrugged. "No. I'm glad you don't rely on your father's power to establish your identity-" Xander put his hand on top of Annia's. "-And you shouldn't be afraid to be your own person. Now tell me… why do you dislike Christians so much?"

"I don't know. I guess I was brought up that way," Annia said softly, looking at her hands. "Because of my father and my privileged life, I guess I have always looked down on people. And how would I know if what I'm doing was right or wrong?"

"They are people just like you," Xander replied. "They have families and loved ones," Xander looked at Annia, and to his surprise, she didn't reply.

After a while she spoke, and what she said shocked Xander. "My dad's helped to execute hundreds…"

"Your dad did what?" Xander exclaimed, and then panicked slightly when Annia looked at him, close to tears. "Hey, don't be sad," he said. "I'll get something to wipe them away-"

"Don't bother, I'm not crying," Annia's voice shook, but her tone was firm. "I'll be fine. I'm just… a little tired."

Xander could tell she was lying about being fine as she rubbed her eyes. But he played along with what she was saying.

"Maybe you should get some sleep…"

"No… I'm sick of carrying this with me… He's killed children too," Annia carefully withdrew her hand out from under Xander's. "I don't know why I hate them…" She looked Xander square in the eye, ignoring her tingly sensation that started in her stomach. "So you want to give them rights?"

"Yes," Xander said. "Look, I know that's not what you want to hear. But I need you to tolerate it because I want you to do something for me," he added quickly at the sight of Annia's cold stare. "You're going to have to convince others that this is the right thing to do."

"How can I convince others if I don't believe in it?" Annia pressed.

"People change Annia. I can tell you know in your heart of hearts that this is wrong," Xander shrugged carelessly. "I don't give a damn if you believe that animals are gods… you should be able to believe in whatever you want to. I want tolerance."

"Wow," Annia mumbled. "You are crazy."

"Courageous? Yes," Xander suggested. "But crazy? No. Severus and anyone who supported his policy were crazy. It's time everyone got their sanity back."

There was a pause. "No," Annia said finally. "I won't shame my father," she looked contemplatively outside the doorway. "I know you won't hurt me if I decline."

"Oh," Xander said, his heart dropping a little. "What if I were to tell you I was Christian?" Xander asked, hiding his slight disappointment.

"You're a Christian!" Annia roared, and Xander looked at her, startled. "You… you are lying!"

"No. I am not," Xander said quickly. "I am a Christian."

"How did you get to become Emperor?" Annia blurted out. She stared at Xander in shock.

"I didn't tell anyone," Xander said, pausing to realize how lucky he was he hadn't told Severus what his religion was. "I'm glad I didn't."

"What? Just because you're a Christian it will make me feel sorry for you and do what you ask?" Annia exclaimed.

Xander looked at her coldly. "Do you like being a bigot?"

Annia was taken aback by what he asked. "It's all I know," she muttered weakly. "I don't know how to be… anything else."

"That's why now you got to change!" Xander exclaimed. "Do you feel like I know how to be Emperor? I didn't even want this to begin with! But I changed because I had to. Now you are in a position where you have to change…"

Annia looked at him strangely. "Even if I do, if people find out you are Christian…"

Xander chuckled sheepishly. "They won't," Xander insisted, carefully picking Annia from her feet, and leading her outside of his room. "You should get some sleep. I know it's not even nighttime. But it's been an exhausting morning…" Xander trailed off and looked at Cato, who stood outside. "Take her to our guest quarters… Let her get some rest."

"Well I suppose you are right," Annia admitted grudgingly. "I need some sleep," and with that, Annia was led away by Cato.

Xander sighed and stared at the sky. So much had happened so soon. At the moment, he hoped Annia would agree with what he had asked.

On foot it took Xander a few minutes to reach his chambers. He walked across the cobblestone, and lifted his hand to knock on the door.

A servant of his opened the door before his knuckles even connected with the wood. "How do you do, my lord," he intoned. "Buffy is waiting for you in the back."

"No, I'm not," Buffy chirped, popping out of one of the many rooms which bordered the great chambers. "Hello, Xander. I wonder how you're talk with that woman went."

"It went well."

"Everyone except Cato took a walk around the courtyard. Everyone is happy."

"Good," Xander said automatically. "Does that mean we actually have time for ourselves?"

"For once, yes."

The couple walked out in companionable silence, enjoying the brisk breezes of the spring weather. As they passed through the palace, with guards and servants lowering their head in respect, Xander commented, "I don't know how much time this is going to last, Buffy. But it's been a hell of a journey."

"I heartily agree," Buffy replied. "It has been quite a journey."

Xander shot her a grin. "Started with you nearly being hanged."

"Yeah, funny isn't it? A bag sent me and you to Rome in the year 193 A.D. Why here? Now? I don't know." Buffy smiled weakly. "All I know is this is a far cry from Sunnydale. I prefer vampires over Romans any day. Trust me."

"Pulcher," Xander replied, wincing as he said the name.

"Good gracious, don't say that name."

"I'm glad we got rid of him."

Buffy patted Xander comfortingly on his forearm. "Me too."

They reached the courtyard, and their attention was immediately diverted by the hundreds of people gathered there. They were soon swept up into the rhythm of the courtyard.

"I've always wondered what went on in an Emperor's palace," Buffy pondered as they stopped before elaborately dressed men and women. They seemed to be of all ages, but Xander could spot Falco in a white toga in the back, along with other men who looked like they were in their 60s. They were Senators.

"I imagine it's most of our Senate and their families. But I'd say way too many people are here. I should kick them out."

Buffy elbowed him in the ribs. "Don't be such a spoilsport. Oh, look at those earrings!" Letting go of Xander's hand, she hurried over to the earrings-seller and inspected his earrings. By the time Xander caught up with her, she had two earrings in hand and was deciding between them. "Which do you prefer, Xander? This?" She held a pink earring up against her ear. "Or this?" she asked, replacing the pink earring with a blue one.

Xander crossed his arms and took a moment to ponder which one looked better before reaching out and plucking a bright blue earring from her hand. "I prefer this one. It matches your eyes, Buffy."

Buffy looked over at him, caught the warm caress of his gaze, and simply melted. "Then I must have the blue one," she said softly.

They stood there locked in place by each other's stare until the earring-seller destroyed the moment with a loud, "A-hem!" Buffy tore her eyes away from Xander and before she could say anything, Xander had paid for the earrings and placed it in her hands.

"A present for my lady." Xander leaned over and kissed her hand.

Buffy felt the warmth of his kiss travel from her hand to her soul. "I shall treasure it."

The romance of the moment was overpowering. "Buffy?" Xander asked suddenly.

"What? Oh, sorry, Xander. I was just enjoying how peaceful it feels to finally be safe."

Xander nodded, agreeing. "I know. Let's go somewhere private."

Xander led her over to the park with a small lake in the middle. Based on a small gate leading inside of it, he could tell it was reserved for members of the Palace. Not a single person was inside. His hand in hers, he weaved their way to a quiet spot where he and Julia had sat nights before. He motioned for Buffy to sit on the picnic bench. They both sat down.

"It's beautiful here, Xander," Buffy said, mesmerized by how nice it appeared.

Xander smiled at her. "Hello, wife," he murmured.

Buffy returned his smile. "Hello, husband."

Xander slid near Buffy and placed his hand on her arm.

Buffy enjoyed having him touch her even in the most casual way. She gave him a sexy grin that he'd come to love.

For a while they were quiet, enjoying the cool breeze through the air and the silence of the afternoon.

"You will make a good Emperor, Xander," Buffy remarked all of a sudden. "I know you will."

"I hope so. I had to make some challenging decisions to become one."

The tone of his voice deepened; there was sadness, a mournful quality in his voice, and Buffy believed correctly he was referring to how he had to send Julia and her children away.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you, Buffy," he told her. "I hope you can start to trust me again."

Again, that mournful note in his voice.

"I trust you, Xander," Buffy heard herself say, looking up into his handsome face, noticing pain in his eyes. She knew he was sad.

Suddenly, without warning, he scooped her into his arms. His mouth took hers, searing her lips with his own. His arms were strong, drawing her near, holding her fast, making sure she didn't escape. And Buffy clung to Xander, needing him, wanting to make him believe she was a woman worthy of his love. She demanded that he let what he did to Julia and her family go, as well as his infidelity with her.

Xander's embrace tightened. His lips moved over hers, and a sound formed in her throat and was silenced by his kiss. His arms were bands of muscle, holding her fast, pressing her against him, making her aware of his masculinity, his dominance.

Xander set her free with the same suddenness of how he first embraced her.

Buffy felt as if her legs would buckle under and fall crazily to the ground.

Xander's hands reached out to make sure that didn't happen, his hands warm against her chilled flesh.

Buffy took a moment to catch her breath. Her heart was fluttering wildly. She gazed deep into Xander's eyes. "What now?"

"Enjoy this moment..." Xander said.

With his free hand Xander reached for Buffy's. It felt good to sit here with Buffy, to be at a palace where his friends were, and-especially-to share this moment with someone he loved.


	41. Lonely Lover

Sunday morning was flooded with sunshine, without a cloud in the blue sky. The air was filled with mating calls from birds and cries from squirrels.

Xander stood on the balcony of the second story of the Domus Augustana to watch and listen. A loose-fitting silk robe of gold was belted at the waist over a white shirt. A chain of gold hung around his neck.

Footsteps clang across the marble floor. Xander's heart became lodged in his throat as he turned and saw Buffy.

A purple dress stretched across her slim shoulders that went down to her knees, the mid-chest showing abundant cleavage, both of her breasts shown clearly.

"Hello," Xander said. "Nice day isn't it?"

"It's beautiful," she murmured. "We got the whole place to ourselves, huh?"

"Yes. Also the Domus Flavia or whatever it's called. But that's just for state meetings. How are you doing, Buff?"

"Good," she declared with a decisive nod. "I'm going to need to check on the others to see if they're awake."

"Come on Buff. We need to spend some alone time. Remember when we walked around the city ourselves? Made love at the Baths of Titus?" There was a smile in his voice as he turned to face the view he had, overlooking the city of Rome from Palatine Hill. "We need to do that again."

Buffy watched Xander overlook the city, commenting when Xander turned to look at him, "If we had the same anonymity, yeah. But Xander, you're the Emperor."

"It would be nice to be anonymous again." Xander glanced back at the city. "You know, I want to get out of this place. Even though I like it, we need to go out. I feel trapped here."

"Very well. You might need to ask the guards to join us," Buffy said, looking at two uniformed large men standing at the corner, observing them.

Xander looked at the guards and motioned them with a tilt of his head. "Alrighty. Where would you like to start our tour?"

Buffy had no preference. "You're the Emperor."

A wicked look stole over his face. "Yes. Emperor of 50 million subjects, so I'm told."

"That isn't what I would call me. How about Empress?" she responded with considerable excitement.

Xander directed his gaze at her lips to watch them form the words of what she said. "Okay. We'll start our tour at the Coliseum. I wanted to go there since I first saw it." Xander turned his body towards the guards who were approaching and finally looked away from Buffy.

Willow approached Cato and said his name softly. Cato stood inside the garden inside Domus Augustana, located in the center of the Palace and on the first floor, directly below where Xander had stood on the second floor.

"Cato," Willow said again.

He didn't respond to Willow at first, then turned to stare at her dully.

"I need apples," he said.

"You know we're part of Xander's entourage. You can just ask for them."

"I miss my old garden," Cato said, his voice soft.

"You know I've been meaning to tell you..."

"Tell me what?"

"How appreciative I am for how you took care of Buffy and Xander and then how you took care of me, Brittany, and Dawn."

"It's no problem."

"I have to give you a better thank you than that," Willow said, taking Cato by the elbow and steering him away from the apple garden and toward the complex of corridors.

"But..." Cato said, looking back at the apples.

"You want the best apples, don't you? We'll get some."

"Okay," Cato said meekly, allowing Willow to guide her towards a cafeteria.

Brittany wrapped Dawn in a blanket and handed her a cup of tea. She was shivering head to toe, despite the fact it was around seventy degrees outside.

Dawn tried to get the mug to her lips, but her hands shook, and Brittany moved in and took it from her, holding it gently up to her lips so she could take a sip.

"I overheard what you told Xander the night he gave the speech."

"I meant what I said."

"It's okay. I'm over him now. But it's just weird... You, Buffy, and Willow. All want Xander."

"Well only one can have him."

Brittany was silent as she pondered what Dawn had said. They stared at each other. Brittany couldn't interpret what Dawn was feeling. Was she really in love with Xander?

"Dawn, maybe you should just get over him too. It would be better-"

Dawn took a deep breath. "Look, Brittany. If I could force myself not to like him I would, but I can't. You know, I'm cool with him having me and Buffy." She threw off the blanket and stood up, moving until she was face-to-face with Brittany. "I mean I have a fever and could die at any moment. This is not Sunnydale anymore. I can't wait for another guy. We only get one life to live."

Brittany was silent for a moment. "So what are you saying? You're going to tell Xander you love him. Didn't you do that?" Brittany said, stepping around her. She picked up the blanket and wrapped it back around her shoulders.

"I'll be careful. I know he won't refuse me. You have to keep it a secret from everyone though... Willow, Cato, and especially, Buffy."

"Hey, if Xander agrees to it, I will. But I know he won't."

"We'll find out. How long did you go out with him?"

"Six months."

Dawn shook her head as she stared across the bed chambers at servants cleaning the room. "You shouldn't have let him go."

"You mean he shouldn't have let me go."

"He's not an ordinary guy. Anyone who becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire is someone special."

Brittany nodded, her eyes darkening, her intent serious.

"What if I said I wanted to get back with him, too? I mean if you're-"

"But you said you were over him."

"So what?" Brittany asked and put up her hand as Dawn began to interrupt, "I'm not a girlie girl who fawns over the guy. I'm a mature woman. Xander is the only guy here really. I don't want to take any chances with any Romans."

"You got to step down," Dawn said, moving back toward her. "I know you still like him. But I am sick because I want Xander and right now, I can't have him."

Brittany looked at her and saw genuine regret and hurt on her face. They stared into each other's eyes, neither one speaking for a minute.

"Okay, you tell Xander how you feel. Let me know how it goes. If he's okay with having the Summers' sisters, then I'll keep it a secret."

Dawn smiled as she considered what she said.

Xander and Buffy stared at the city they had just entered. It was huge, buildings lining and stretching for miles, but two places stood out: the Coliseum in the distance, where the huge wonder pierced the sky, and a large Colossus of nero statue towering adjacent to it.

"So this is Rome..." Buffy whispered in awe. It was breathtaking, but she somewhat felt used to the crowded streets. Xander felt the same, in awe of the city but had an underlying comfortable feeling, like they both belonged in a crowd. He grabbed Buffy's hand and pulled her forwards.

Weaving through the crowds, they drew the attention of everyone. They were drawn to Buffy's beauty and Xander's handsomeness, in part due to his golden attire. Men and boys looked at Xander jealously, making him proud, while women stared in envy over Buffy's figure, making her feel powerful. She was going to let go of his hand until something caught her eye. She saw the same vendor she and Xander had met that morning after they had been released from prison.

"It's the same vendor we met before, Xander..." She whispered. "Don't look, but it's amazing how far we've come since that day." She noticed the vendor had turned his head in their direction. Then Buffy spoke quickly, "Xander, kiss me."

Xander blushed, making her blush too. "W-W-What?" He stuttered.

"If he recognizes us, he's going to harass us!"

Xander blinked. She said that all in one breath. He was about to dismiss the notion of kissing, but several people in the crowd began to speak amongst each other in hushed tones./

"This is the new Emperor and his woman! I mean, they aren't even Roman! The blonde haired one looks too much of a whore, how can she be with the Emperor?! At least they haven't had kids yet. We don't want any of their offspring becoming Emperor!" It was a man's voice, and he seemed pissed.

"Hey, don't blame the blonde one! She's seems like a good woman! But your right, they shouldn't have kids. I bet they won't even last as a couple. I hear the Emperor had an affair with the late Caesar's wife!" Said a second voice, also a man.

Who would guess that the gossipers in Rome were men? Xander didn't want to listen to the ramblings anymore, as he now began to hear the women speak.

"Buffy, I'm tired of all this talking." He whispered to her ear. Not even waiting for a reply, he crushed his lips to hers.

"Oh, my!" Buffy and Xander heard the crowd of a hundred of so gasp. "They're doing it! Oh my!"

His hands slid from her shoulders up her neck to her chin, tilting her face to receive his kiss. The pressure of his mouth was as light as the sun touching the earth. Soon the desire that was ever-present between them urged their mouths together in a kiss that left Buffy clinging to one of the two guardsmen to stay upright.

"Well?" he asked hoarsely, spreaidng kisses around her face, ending at her forehead.

She kept her eyes pinched shut. "That was... very... nice."

Xander smiled and pulled back. Buffy looked surprised for a split second as she opened her eyes, but then she realized the attention they were getting. All around the sides, the crowd was scanning them, and she could swear men were undressing her with their eyes.

"Let's go to the Coliseum," Xander said slowly. "I'll make sure it's just me and you." Xander heard a grunt from one of the two guardsmen. Xander turned to the guardsman and gave him an apologetic look, then looked at Buffy. "And the guards, but act like they're not there."

She nodded, laughing at Xander slightly for his sense of humor.

"Those apples were good, huh?" Willow asked Cato. "No need to go picking them."

"And that was the only thing you wanted to do? Thank me?" Cato probed.

"I heard you are 59. You must have taken good care of yourself to live that long here." And then Cato grinned.

Cato eyeballed her for a moment while he considered the grim truth- that he was one of the lucky few in Rome who have lived past fifty. "So you came here to talk to me about death?" he asked, shaking his head. "I've had enough talk about it."

"No. I wanted to talk about the kiss we had at the tavern."

"You told me you were a lesbian."

"So? I can still kiss guys, right? Even like them... love them."

Cato laughed. "You like Xander I know. How do I come into the picture?"

"Follow me," Willow said.

Cato followed her into an area of the cafeteria where he watched her pull a bowl of fresh fish from a table and threw it into a basket full of fresh apples laying nearby. Cato sat at the small kitchen table on a chair. "I love apples and fish."

"All right, all right, give me a second," Willow said, putting the basket in front of him. She filled a nearby cup with milk and put it on the table, then leaned against the kitchen table and let out a breath.

He chuckled and shook his head. "It's not lunchtime yet."

"It doesn't matter, eat up my friend," Trebonius said as he came into the kitchen. He didn't look like a soldier who had escorted Julia off into exile. All he had on was a night robe. "So you're taking care of your father, Willow?"

"Uh... not exactly. What's up?"

"Couple of things," Trebonius said. "First of all, Julia and her children are safely in Aegyptus. Looks like they are handling it better than we expected. That should come as good news for Xander. And also Annia wants to speak with Xander."

"She's that bitch who almost got Xander killed during his speech?" Willow asked loudly. "I don't want her to see him."

"She already did. But she wants to see him again."

Of course she did. Every woman wanted Xander now, more than ever. "I don't want her seeing him."

"Oh," Trebonius said. "But she's the daughter of the consul."

"Consul?"

"Next in line to the Emperor. He's first consul. There's a second one named Vibianus. Both are to be commended since they survived the reign of Commodus," Trebonius explained, looking at Cato as he ate the fresh cut fish. Then he glanced back at Willow. "Consuls are the highest elected political office. She is important because of her father."

Willow gave him a small smile. "So why tell me? You can tell anyone."

"I heard Buffy and Xander are out in the city," Trebonius said.

Willow's chin dropped. "What?"

"Seems to be that they were tired of hanging around the confined walls of this Palace," Trebonius said. "To me, I can't get enough of it. Thankfully I made an acquaintance with Xander. He made my life very good."

"He made everyone's for the moment," Willow said. Her eyes grew sad; she shook her head with frustration. "I want him to be safe within these walls. It's unpredictable... out there."

"Nothing's unpredictable anymore. The Praetorian Guard will be disbanded for good. Xander will do it," Trebonius said with a smile.

Willow smiled. "That'll be good. You helped put an end to Pulcher I heard."

Trebonius patted her arm affectionately. "You know there's other guys out there beside Xander."

Cato looked at Trebonius between bites and shook his head. "She's a lesbian."

Trebonius burst out laughing, not believing what he heard. "A lesbian? No-" His eyes caught Willow's and noticed she was not laughing. Trebonis thought about it for a moment. "Wow."

"But Xander is an exception," Willow said.

Trebonius frowned, then smiled slightly, giving Willow a seductive stare. "How about another?"

"Willow, is he hitting on you?" Cato asked her. "Boy he is blunt."

"I don't hide when it comes to women." Trebonius looked her over. "Why don't we get something to eat together?"

"I'm busy right now with my 'Father'. And it looks like Father doesn't approve do you, daddy?" Willow asked, looking at Cato, who shook his head. Then she looked at Trebonius. "Sorry."

"Well," Trebonius said, grimacing. "Whatever."

Xander and Buffy looked around in wonder and awe; they had never seen so many people gathered in one place before. The stands were filled to the brim with people, all of whom were talking amongst one another, taking bets on the upcoming gladiatoral fights or simply waiting in anticipation for the fight.

Xander looked around for anything that would resemble the Emperor's seating area as the last of the spectators filled their seats. He looked up and saw what he presumed to be his personal box and smiled.

The gilded marle throne was on a raised platform approached by marble steps, beneath a balcony. Trumpets announced the approach of Xander, who could enter unobserved through a door at the side of the raised platform. From the moment that the trumpet sounded, and the guards in the Coliseum became stiff as statues, Xander and Buffy observed the rolled petitions, greetings, testimonials of flattery from private citizens and address of adulation from random people, as a silent throng filed behind them.

Xander glanced at one of the two guards who surrounded him and Buffy on both sides. "How many people are here?"

"About 50,000. Full capacity," the guard replied.

Xander nodded, swallowing deeply. Now and then he scowled, his irritation at the frequent voices and addresses towards him. At each gesture of impatience the guards beside him pushed the crowd back away from him. But at the end of the long walk through the Coliseum, Xander grew tired of the admiration of the crowd and he scowled.

"I came here for a nice escape and this is what I get!" Xander said in a harsh voice. The crowd continued flowing by, each raising their right hand and bowing as he reached the Emperor's box. He walked in with Buffy and as they entered, they were now exposed to all of the crowd.

All movement ended then and there was utter silence. For a moment Xander stood scowling at the crowd, a hand resting on his throne. Then he laughed, looking at Buffy standing to his right. "I don't know whether they are silent for me or for you..."

"It's for you," Buffy concluded. "I bet none of these people have seen the new Emperor yet."

"With all the Emperors being killed off so recently, I doubt they haven't seen an Emperor in a while. Buffy, sit down next to me. I don't want them to be confused who the Emperor is," Xander insisted. Buffy did as he asked. Xander looked at a half-dozen young women to his right, half-hidden behind the pillars inside the box, each one trying, as he looked at them, to draw a smile from him and pose attractively. One even winked at him. "Who are these girls?" Xander asked, his heart skipping a beat in excitement.

"They are slaves," a familiar feminine voice addressed him.

Throwing away his silk robe for a male slave to catch and fold he turned towards the woman. It was Annia. Her brown hair looked disheveled. Her clothes were in a revealing state of disarray and her lips were swollen. Her brown eyes had the look of a woman who had been made love to. She cast a surreptious glance at Xander, wondering what he thought of her.

Xander was about to speak when he saw an old senator come from one of the curtains behind a pillar. He kept his head down as he rushed out of the throne room, blushing all the way. Xander sighed. Bitterness and contempt laced him. Not at the jealously of what she was doing but at the disrespect it showed to him. "So this is how you are spreading the message of Christianity..."

"No. He paid me pretty good. But it could work if I did it for that," Annia agreed quietly.

"Right!" Xander returned with a scoffing laugh. He knew he had to be lenient on Annia since she knew his secret about being a Christian but he couldn't control his anger at her action. "I gave you a nice talk and I believed you were a good woman. You don't need the money. Your father is first consul for Christ's sake."

"I do need the money," Annia said.

"No you don't," Xander corrected grimly. "Get out of the Emperor's box. Take the other girls with you."

"You're kicking me out? What?" Annia murmured with amused disbelief. "You know what I can do to you..."

"Stay outside the throne room and wait somewhere for ten minutes where we can talk. Let me enjoy my time here with Buffy for now," Xander sighed.

Annia's gaze slid to Buffy, who refused to even grant her a look. "Okay," she said. Chilled by his cold command, she swayed to carry out his order. "I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't expect you to be here at the gladiatoral games..."

Xander's eyebrows narrowed. "Me too. Now leave, please. I'll talk to you in a moment."

Annia nodded numbly and walked out of the room.

As soon as his eyes left Annia's, he looked down onto the sandy ground in the center of the Coliseum. He saw a dozen gladiators greeting him with a salute.

Xander mimicked the same salute the guards gave him and they rested their salute. Moments later, swords began to clash.

"Is it me or does our impromptu tour of the Coliseum seems like a planned thing?" Xander exclaimed towards Buffy.

Dawn tapped on a door to a room and went in to find an old man rummaging through a stack of papers.

He glanced up and the look on his face puzzled her; relief, with a kind of wry amusement too. "Sit down," he requested softly.

The old man placed his papers in a stack as Dawn sat down in a chair across from his desk. Then, since the man remained silent, she said kindly, "You are the doctor here. Aelius Galenus, right?"

The man leaned back in his chair, looking at her with some amusement. "You have a fever is what I heard and you certainly look it," he observed. "But based on what I heard, it was brought upon by a concern for someone. Please tell me about that..."

"It seems like you already know so why don't you tell me about it..."

"Don't, I beg you, show an attitude towards me. I've traveled around the world and treated several emperors. I am the most distinguished physician in Rome."

"I'm not showing an attitude," she said snappily. "You are acting like I faked my illness."

The man's eyebrows rose at that, and then he laughed. No one had talked to him like that for a long time and he rathed enjoyed it. "I will be brief. Some of the men and women who work here know you like the new Emperor. You happen to be the sister of the woman he's with... A woman named Buffy..."

"Look, Aelius Galenus-"

"Call me Galen."

"Galen," Dawn said. "I came here for some medication. I'm real scared of being sick in this time period. I can die from this."

"Not under my care, dear. You have nothing to worry about."

"Yes, well- It doesn't seem like you want to help me."

The stare Galen turned on her should have shrivelled her up. "My dear Dawn, I am proposing this is a psychological illness, not a physical illness. Your friends will look after you and that will be it. I don't like to waste my time on someone who is in love."

"Oh, sorry you feel that way..."

"You know from what I heard... he loves your sister very much. You love your sister, don't you?"

"Yes."

"In any case, this is none of my business. But if you love the Emperor, tell him. Don't come back here until you do. Then maybe I can begin some treatment." He smiled at her with such charm that her heart danced against her ribs. "Where is the Emperor, now?"

"I don't know. I guess I should search for him?"

"Wait for him to come back." Galen frowned. "No, better still, I'll fetch for him. As the Emperor's personal physician, I have the best contact with the Emperor. I'll find out where he is." He added, "And Dawn, if he says he wants to be with Buffy, accept it. If you want to talk to me afterwards about this, you can do that."

Dawn smiled at the old, bearded physician, and nodded. "Thanks."

Four attractive, young, scantily clad women were stationed outside the Emperor's box, prepared to entice the Emperor as he walked out. Two guardsmen were standing near them at the exit where Annia was also waiting.

Annia was introducing herself to the four women. "Hello, I'm the daughter of the consul, Falco. I am waiting on the Emperor. He is supposed to talk to me."

"That's what he told you, huh? You got to wait in line, honey," a blonde and pretty woman replied.

"Oh, I love your father. He could be Emperor if the Emperor dies you know. Just something to think about," another of the four women added with a mischievous grin.

"Pleased to meet you, Falco's daughter. I guess you don't like giving out your name," the third and oldest of the group said politely.

"My name is Annia."

Annia shook all of their hands then called out for Xander. She had been waiting for ten minutes as he had told her.

As Annia was about to turn away and leave, Xander appeared and walked right by the four women and the two guardsmen. The sight of Xander in a plain white tunic, exposing his strong muscles in his arms and chest stimulated a powerful sensation in Annia's heart.

"Xander!" Annia called out again. "Thanks for coming out here."

Xander managed a genuine smile as Annia opened her arms for a hug. "Yeah."

Xander reached Annia and gave her a crushing embrace. In a voice only Annia could hear, he whispered in her ear, "Annia," he said. "Speak with me alone."

Instantly, Annia's manner changed. She made a gesture of being frightened. Her sudden scowl made the women standing next to her frightened as well.

"Guards, make sure the women get back to the Emperor's box," Xander retorted as he broke the hug. "And make sure you as well stay in the Emperor's box."

The women vanished, hurrying into the Emperor's box, with the two guards following quickly, the last guard drawing a cord that closed the jingling curtain.

"Xander, are you going to hurt me?" Annia stuttered. "What do you want? I can give you anything…"

"Be quiet!" Xander grumbled, giving her a black look. "I really thought you were something special."

Annia nodded and cast Xander a terrified look. "What do you want? Like I said, I can give you anything…"

Noticing how frightened Annia was, Xander was suddenly determined to eliminate her worries about her safety. He took her oval face in his hands. "You are one of the prettiest girls in this city. But that's not why I like you. You have courage. Courage that almost got me killed during my speech, but you have courage. So don't feel scared around me. This is the second time in a row you look like you are going to die. I like you, okay?"

"Then why do you look like you want to kill me?" Panic tightened Annia's expression.

"I don't know," Xander said softly. "Maybe I was a little jealous I don't know." Tears stung Annia's eyes as Xander guided her to the left of the exit, into a corner inside the shade where no one could discern who they were. "Jesus. I'm so nervous. I didn't expect the Coliseum to be this packed."

"Happens almost every day. It picked up when Commodus started doing gladiatorial fights himself."

Xander laughed softly, remembering Commodus played by Joaquin Phoenix in the movie, Gladiator.

Annia jerked with a start when Xander looped an arm across her shoulders. She looked up at him, drawing a hissing breath as his gaze sharpened on hers, warning her not to be so dramatic.

Annia reached into a pocket in her black dress, undoubtedly to check on the money she received from a senator.

Xander saw Annia release a breath and drag in another. He knew that Annia was about to check the money.

"What'd you do?" Xander whispered. "Gave him a blowjob or what?"

Annia wanted to stay focused on getting her money, but his comment heated her blood and she gave up the search. "I'm not a whore, Xander."

"Yeah, well, seems like that to me."

Applause broke out, and Annia realized the gladiatorial performance had ended, judging by the enthusiastic clap of hands. She knew the crowd would fill up the halls they were in and there would be no privacy for their talk. Also she knew Buffy would be walking out as well.

Xander withdrew his arm from around Annia's shoulders, knowing himself what was about to happen. "Come to the Palace tonight. We can continue this there. I want to know why you are doing this."

"I," Annia snapped. "If you're going to lecture me-"

"Annia, I'm not going to lecture you, okay?" Xander searched for something more comforting to say as he returned his palm to the small of her back. "I respect you no matter what you do… or did…" Annia rolled her eyes as she wiped away the last bit of tears. "Ask for me from one of the guards."

Annia did not reply as she swallowed heavily, a look of shame evident on her face.

"Hey I cheated on Buffy with the Emperor's wife. Then I sent the Emperor's wife into exile with her children. It's not like what you did was any worse than that, right?"

Annia almost laughed.

"I also had a threesome with Buffy and my best friend. At least this time Buffy allowed the cheating."

He'd done it again, made her want to laugh.

"Like I said, I'm not going to lecture you."

Annia squeezed her eyes closed. When she lifted her lashes, Xander saw the shadows of anxiety and fear that darkened her irises. He regretted his frustration towards Annia but what was his alternative? After catching Annia in what appeared to be a sexual affair, he couldn't just let her walk away, especially after the talk he had given her.

She glanced at Xander, her face pale, her eyes gleaming with purpose. "Okay. I'll see you tonight."

Xander bent his head and dug at the dirt of the Coliseum floor with the heel of his sandal. It gave him a chance to think about what would happen that night. Then Xander looked up and still with his hand on her back, he used it to give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Ask for me from one of the guards," he stated again.

Assured by his promise, Annia smiled weakly and walked away from the shaded corner.

Xander settled a thoughtful gaze on her. Damn she was pretty. Xander couldn't deny that. The possibility of having an affair with her couldn't be ruled out. Even her speech, refined and laced with a calculated tone made Xander feel turned on inside.

Just then the curtain opened and a bunch of those in the Emperor's box emerged, accompanied by a faint smell of soup. He turned towards the curtain and saw as individual by individual filed through.

Xander, apparently sensing that Buffy would be agitated at leaving her alone, hurried over to the side of the curtain. He allowed himself to be pushed aside unintentionally by senators and women alike, coming from adjacent boxes near the Emperor's box. Then he recognized Buffy who walked through the mesh of people.

Buffy caught sight of Xander standing near the curtain. She raised her eyebrows. In a low voice and standing aside the exit beside Xander, she asked, "What did she want?"

"I don't know yet. I'm guessing she's doing sexual favors to help daddy's career."

"Oh." Buffy lowered her lashes and caught her lower lip between her teeth.

As ill-timed it was, Xander ached to taste those lips and do a little nibbling as well. His Buffy was so beautiful and fine. On her best day, Annia, though beautiful in her own right, could not measure up. "I'm sorry I left you there at the end."

Why Xander was apologizing, Buffy didn't know. "Don't worry about it. Let's just walk back."

"Easier said than done," Xander said, noticing the two guards who had escorted them from the Imperial Palace to the Coliseum. They seemed just as frustrated about the upcoming trip as they were.

Once on Palatine Hill and walking up to the Domus Augustana, they could breathe again. Along the trip back, Xander had little to say. He knew Buffy was a little perturbed about Annia, and he couldn't blame her. Buffy had disliked Annia from the beginning and now had more reason to upon witnessing what Xander had seen.

"That woman," Buffy ventured in a low voice. "What are your plans for her?"

Xander sighed. "I see a lot of potential in her. I think she can help people become more accepting of Christianity."

"Do you-" Buffy made tight fists in the folds of her purple dress. "Do you like her?"

Not wanting to respond quickly because he wanted Buffy to know he considered what she asked, he finally said, "No. It's not like that between us, at least not for me."

"Of course you would say that." Tears sparkled in her eyes. "Oh, Xander, I feel terrible. You and Julia… having an affair. I know I haven't shown the hurt it caused me but it did…"

"I won't have another one," he promised.

"I mean we shouldn't even have had that threesome with Willow," Buffy said bitterly. "You could have had the courtesy to not do it." She glared at him. "I don't like being taken for granted , and god knows what you did when you were training to be a soldier. I won't be at your beck and call, you understand, Xander?"

His brown eyes showed amusement as he looked at Buffy. "I don't take you for granted, Buff."

"I… I hope you don't." Buffy found it challenging to remain angry.

"Caesar, during the gladiatorial fight I received word from your personal physician Galen that Dawn wants to talk to you," a guard beside them informed Xander.

"At lunchtime? How about we make it later?" Xander protested.

The guard looked at the other guard next to him and both frowned. The guard who had told him about the news glanced back at Xander. "Caesar, we were told it was urgent."

Xander raised his eyebrows and stared at Buffy. "Do you want to come with me?"

"It's for you alone, Caesar," the same guard insisted.

"All these rules and regulations!" Buffy laughed.

With a sigh, Xander nodded towards the guards. He glanced at Buffy. "I'll meet you in your chamber afterwards." He walked away, his hand on her waist drawing her along with him until he let go of his grasp.

Buffy watched him leave, overcome for a minute by curiosity. Then she shrugged. It must be something minor that Dawn was making into something major, she thought to herself.

"He's coming alone," a guard informed Dawn as he stuck his head into the chamber and walked away down the corridor outside.

As Dawn turned to the open door where she heard the voice, Xander walked in. His brown eyes lighted on her immediately and a half smile curved his mouth while she tried to get her breath back. He was dressed in a white tunic that emphasized his good looks.

It was a full second before Dawn became aware of the stranger who was with him.

"Hello, Dawn," Xander greeted her, but didn't give her an opportunity to respond. "I don't believe you've met Varius."

Dawn managed a smile as she stepped forward. Varius was one of the guards who had escorted Xander and Buffy to the Coliseum. He was a well-built man with bushy eyebrows and a mass of iron gray hair. The harshness of his features was softened when he smiled, as he was doing now. Dawn had the feeling he was a very honest, trustworthy man.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dawn." The man shook her hand and cast a sideways glance at Xander. "I'm glad you decided not to do it later like you wanted."

"Later?" Dawn was confused, and a glance at Xander only added to it.

"I am a busy man, Dawn." The unsettling brown eyes were fixed on her. "I knew this wasn't a medical issue because Galen would have told me. What do you want, Dawn?"

"What do I want?" Dawn was beginning to feel like an echo.

"He asked you a question, Dawn," Varius inserted. "When the Emperor speaks to you, you speak back in an appropriate manner," he said as if quoting a line from a rulebook.

"It's okay Dawn. You don't have to respond," Xander told Dawn, and turned to Varius. "It was a pleasure finally knowing your name, Varius. I hope you don't mind if I take Dawn out for lunch."

"I certainly don't," Varius smiled broadly.

"But-" Dawn began.

"You hungry?" Xander interrupted.

"Yeah, kind of." There was more she would have said, but his hand was already on her elbow directing her out of the chamber.

"Hope you enjoyed the food," Willow said before taking Cato's hand.

Cato gazed at her, still in the stunned-speechless mode he'd been in all morning.

Willow turned to Cato as they walked through the Domus Augustana corridors. "I know Trebonius said you were my father as a joke but I do look at you like that. I hope you don't mind."

"Not one bit."

Willow chuckled. "None of us have any parents here. You are like the father figure for everyone. I'm sure you heard Xander during his speech." Then the redhead leaned up and kissed his cheek. "You mean a lot to this group so don't feel left out," she said, whispering into his ear. "Thank you."

As Willow halted at the door of her chambers, Cato stood with his mouth agape. "I did hear Xander's speech. It was perfect. I really appreciate that you feel that way. I don't feel left out."

"I bet you just need a woman in your life. I can help you with that." Willow grinned and elbowed him. "Come by my place tonight and we'll talk some more."

Willow patted his shoulder without so much as a glance his way then walked into her chambers.

"Thanks again for the company," Cato called after her.

Xander ushered Dawn into the cafeteria and closed the door. She turned to face him, his bland expression telling her absolutely nothing.

"Would you mind explaining what's going on?" Her hands were on her hips in challenge.

"I'd like to know the same thing. Let's do it over lunch though. Are you hungry?" he repeated his earlier question, then noticed her nod a 'yes'.

Dawn was too confused to object when he took her hand in his and guided her to the outer edge of the empty cafeteria. He was guiding her through tables and chairs when suddenly Dawn pulled her hand free from his.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"I'm taking you to lunch," he responded.

"I didn't say I would go with you."

Xander tipped his head to an inquiring angle. "Will you?"

"Yes, but Xander, I wanted to talk to you about something important."

"Who says we can't talk about something important here?" Xander's hands moved to her shoulders, as if to make her feel calm.

Within a second, Xander had found a table at a window with a view of the gardens in the center of the Domus Augustana. The sun glared through the window. Dawn had just sat down when a servant appeared.

"Two orders of wine, please. We'll order later."

"I do want to get this off my chest," Dawn stated.

"It won't hurt if you wait a moment," Xander insisted with complacency.

Dawn gritted her teeth for an instant. "I know you believe that just because I'm Buffy's little sister that I cannot be a mature, older woman. I am not the same girl you played board games with."

"I know, I know." Xander thanked the waiter with a nod of his head as the waiter brought their wine.

"I threw away my life in Sunnydale. There's no way we're getting back. Here we don't have any good food, no good movies, no good medicine-"

"That's another thing," Xander seized on that. "What was all that nonsense about my personal physician? You're not really sick, are you?"

"Don't be so rude, Xander." Her mouth curved above the rim of the wine cup. "You had everything to do with it. You're the reason, the only reason, I have been sick."

Xander swallowed, her bluntness throwing him again. "What's so special about me?"

"Because you have dark hair and beautiful puppy dog eyes. Because you're a man I want to get to know… very well." The slight hesitation was designed to underline the last two words she spoke. Their message was unmistakable. Xander felt the blood rush hotly through his veins. Her observant blue eyes noted his reaction. "Hasn't a woman ever made a play for you before?" Dawn asked bluntly, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She knew about Julia and how she had seduced him.

"Of course." Xander tried to shrug away her question with a distant feeling that he could not feel at the moment. Unaware, he fingered the stem of the cup.

"And?" Dawn prompted.

"And what?" Xander tried to appear nonchalant.

"And what would you do if I tried to?"

A small table separated them. Yet the way Dawn was looking at him made him feel she was making love to him in his mind. He could feel a gentle caress of his hands from her right hand, and it awakened a hunger that had nothing to do with food.

"I guess you'll have to wait and find out." Xander clung to his air of boldness, despite the fact that he was so vulnerable.

Dawn pulled her right hand back to her cup. "I'll look forward to it."

"I'm not going to rush you."

"Am I supposed to be grateful that you warned me?" Dawn retorted.

"Do you consider that a warning?" He raised his eyebrow. "I thought it was a promise."

"We'd better order."

"You've eaten here before I'm sure." Dawn didn't object to his suggestion. "What would you recommend?"

"Since I'm not familiar with what you eat, I can't help you." She refused to look at Xander as she looked around at the food lying around the cafeteria.

"But you know my taste. I want only the best. Nothing less will do." His disconcerting brown gaze was leveled at her, and she sensed that he wasn't referring to food.

"Your definition of taste is different from mine. You'll have to choose for yourself," she insisted. "I'm going to have a salad."

Xander motioned the waiter to his table, gave him Dawn's order and his own for a steak.

"Don't you like the wine?" Xander asked.

Dawn had yet to take a sip of it. "I generally don't have anything to drink during the day, except water."

"But this is a special occasion."

"Why?"

"Because we're here together, you and I." He took a drink from the cup of wine and set it down. "I was beginning to feel like there would always be an appointment, paperwork to do, someone to get in my way from seeing you again."

"Really?" she murmured.

"Don't act like you weren't nervous. Getting my physician to get me is pretty desperate, isn't it?" Xander spoke softly, but a hint of taunting was evident in his voice.

"I wasn't being desperate at all," Dawn lied.

"Did you really believe I wouldn't have a one-on-one talk with you again?" His gaze slid to her lips and Dawn had to fight an impulse to moisten them.

"Isn't there something else we can discuss?" she demanded in irritation while her fingers nervously traced a circle around the rim of the cup of wine.

"How about the weather?" Xander asked.

"I don't give a damn about the weather, or the cost of a loaf of bread, it makes no difference," Dawn breathed out impatiently.

"Quit playing with your cup."

Dawn's hand jerked from the cup as if it had suddenly caught fire. She folded her hands in her lap and struggled to regain her momentary loss of poise. Fortunately, the waiter chose that moment to arrive with their meal, which smoothed over Dawn's sensation of nervousness.

Yet it was a relief when each had finished and Xander signaled the waiter to give him a thank you.

She, who had thought herself so experienced, had discovered that she didn't know how to handle this man. Xander was in control, directing events, conversations and feelings.

"We still have plenty of time to spend together. Why don't we wander around the palace?" Xander suggested smoothly.

"Sure. It wouldn't hurt," she said, shrugging.

Annia had told her father what had happened at the Coliseum earlier that day and was panicking outside the door to her father's room inside his villa.

"Annia?"

Annia didn't move.

"Here's how it's going to go down," Falco said. "I'll talk to Gratus. The favor you did for me should insure that he votes for acquittal of Marcus. But just to make sure, I will talk to him. And you'll get the ten percent I promised you."

Annia jumped up and tore open the door. "Ten percent?! The Emperor saw me! I don't know what the fuck he was doing there! I had oral sex with Gratus and he knew it! He will know you are doing this. You have to give me more father."

"Ten percent of my earnings are quite a lot of money," Falco said calmly.

"Well if my life is in danger, it isn't."

"Annia. Please." He was cold, condescending. "Marcus did a lot of good things for me. I wouldn't be here where I am if it wasn't for him. If you make one wrong move now that you have already done what you did, my career can be over. Trust me. You won't want that."

Annia's stomach turned in on itself. She clutched it in silent agony. "Marcus killed a father and mother. They had two kids."

"He was drunk. He didn't know they were there."

Annia lifted her chin to look at her father. "He ran them over with his horses. He deserves to be punished. At least pay a fine. What about their kids?"

"Now you're a good woman now, is it? Get this straight, darling." Falco leaned in close, enunciated each word clearly. "You fucked Gratus and several other men in the past I told you to. You haven't asked once about why you're doing what you're doing or cared about the people it affected. Now that you had this talk with the Emperor you are now defiant to my wishes and questioning my authority. I am your father. This fucking new Emperor is just there temporarily. You know how the new Emperors change. Within a week or less than that, he can be dead you know."

Acid rose up in Annia's throat. "I can't believe you talk about him that way. He's a good person."

Falco laughed. "So were the other Emperors. Even Commodus can be good sometimes. Trust me on that."

Annia sauntered further into the room where Falco was standing. Falco laughed even more.

"Thirty percent," Annia yelled.

His laughter abruptly ended. Falco glanced back at her.

"Thirty percent? Listen, princess. How about I give you twenty percent."

"Thirty. I deserve it."

Falco winked at her. "I love you, dear. You got the short end of the stick many times growing up in my bid to become consul and you keep on fighting. Yep. I love you a lot."

"I'm serious. I want thirty percent."

"Annia, maybe you should think this through." He rocked back on his heels. "I'm not a good person like Xander as you say. I expect you know that by now. My sympathy for you only goes so far. We're getting my friend acquitted and we're doing it my way."

Annia hesitated. Her head was spinning. This wasn't a time for cold feet, any sign of weakness. "Twenty percent, then," she said.

"Tell me what the Emperor said to you after he caught you."

"I don't recall. You'll have to ask him yourself."

Lying to her father was dangerous, Annia thought, but telling the truth had to be more dangerous.

"Are you going to fuck him like you did all the other men," Falco asked, "or are you just being a friend to him?"

Annia remained calm, practicing the restraint she'd learned in twenty years as her father's most trusted aide. "Men like you who haven't had many friends don't understand loyalty and service, true commitment."

"Damn right, we don't." He grinned, deeply amused by his own wit. "Well, it doesn't matter to me. You can have whatever little fantasies you want, Annia."

"I like him father but he seems like he is busy with other women."

He gave a curt laugh and started back down the room to his desk. Without turning, he motioned with one finger for her to follow.

Annia joined him. She had to stiffen her muscles to keep herself from trembling.

"Here's the deal, Annia. The Marcus affair will be dealt with soon. I am getting older and I would like to be remembered for more than being a consul for a year."

Annia raised her chin and met his gaze directly. "I don't follow, father."

Falco frowned at her. "You said you like this Xander… He's a handsome man, there's no denying that. Would you be willing to have a child with him?"

"Father," Annia began. She swallowed, met Falco's cold gaze. "What are you suggesting? Am I to have a relationship with him?"

"Oh, dear, don't be so naïve. He has all his friends around him. He's with the blonde. You cannot have a relationship with him… At least not officially. But if you are pregnant with his child, things can change. I want to be part of the Emperor's bloodline. Perhaps, who knows? I can be Emperor."

Annia glared at her father. "You're disgusting. You've asked things of me before but this crosses the line…"

"Well, if it does, what about the time you slept with both a senator and his son to procure an appointment of Rufus."

"Those were at different times. I didn't plan on falling in love with his son."

"Uh-huh. Well you caused the mother to commit suicide. You have to live with that."

"Do you want me to seduce him?"

Falco rubbed his chin. "It's not that simple. Play it by ear. Don't rush things. Who knows? You might end up having feelings for the boy."

"Must you be so blunt?"

"Listen to you, Annia. You're the one who has opened her legs for over a dozen men and just today gave the senator Gratus a blowjob. Let's talk about who is blunt."

Annia was silent. Stricken.

"Well," Falco said, "this won't be a pretty deal we have here, but it can work. Opportunities like this won't come again. Just remember to keep this between ourselves and no one else."

"I will do what you ask father." She straightened, eyed him coolly. She wanted him to think she was in control, not that she felt nervous. She did not agree to what her father had planned since she had already started developing feelings for Xander. She rationalized to herself that doing what her father asked really was what she wanted to do anyway. "Just give it time."

Falco smiled. "Okay. Love you Annia."

Annia gave him a forced grin. "Love you too, daddy."

Xander and Dawn came to a cluster of log buildings set in a grassy, rolling meadow. Many of the palace guardsmen were stationed here to manage risks to the Palace.

Security was subtle but not unnoticeable. When Xander and Dawn came to the end of the long, winding road inside the Palace, a man in a guard uniform introduced himself to Xander. "I am Sergius Saturninus. I am the head guardsman within this area. We weren't expecting you."

Xander tried to smile. "Well, Saturninus. Leave me and Dawn to ourselves as we walk around."

Saturninus didn't return his smile. "Yes, Caesar."

"Well I guess this is where the guardsmen live?" Xander asked.

Still no smile. "Yes, Caesar. We have to sleep somewhere."

Xander nodded to Saturninus. "Well, I'll talk to you later."

Saturninus nodded back and walked away.

Xander motioned for Dawn to go into the main log building.

Dawn joined him in the living room, in front of a massive stone fireplace.

Xander took her by the hand and led her to a couch, where they both sat.

"You must have guards everywhere."

Xander looked around the room, then back at Dawn with a smile. "Not everywhere."

She laughed, releasing her hand from Xander's. "Did you think you would become Emperor when you first got transported here?"

"It's unbelievable, Dawn. It's like a dream." He turned to a few guardsmen who walked into the house. It was a guard house, after all. "Hey men, can you tell the other guardsmen to leave the house and give us privacy, please?"

The guards nodded and left the house.

"There's so much we can do, Dawn. We can travel the world. Anywhere we want to go. Hell, anywhere you want to go you can go."

Dawn smiled weakly. The prospect of traveling the world clearly excited Xander more than it did her. She knew how dangerous the political atmosphere was in Rome. A departure from Rome would mean an opponent's opening to use politics to take the throne. She was still convinced, as were all of her friends that the Emperor's life was fragile and could end at any moment. There was no security, despite all of the security around them.

"You're looking well, Dawn," Xander said, eyeing her.

"Thanks."

"Dawn, I've always found you attractive. Even as a teenage girl."

Dawn knew that Xander loved her as a friend, just as she loved him as her friend. Of course, she loved him way more than just that. She wanted and desired his heart and his body- not just his friendship.

"I never looked past Buffy… I… I was a complete idiot, Dawn. I'm sorry." He sat back on his heels looking up at her. "Ever since you told me you loved me after my speech, I've been thinking about you. You are beautiful just like your sister." His voice was a low rumble as he finished.

Dawn's eyes were drawn to the white tunic he was wearing. Xander was saying everything she had dreamed of him saying to her, but it was about someone who wasn't her. The girl Xander was talking about was a figment of Xander's imagination- made up to look like something out of his fantasies. It wasn't her.

Xander followed his eyes over to the loosely dressed white toga she was wearing. He looked back at her face and she met his eyes.

"Xander, you don't love me," she said in lament.

Xander met her gaze steadily, "Dawn, it takes time to love someone. You are pretty, don't get me wrong." He reached up and stroked her face. His touch was tentative, but everything was telling him that the problem wasn't that she didn't want him, but that she thought he didn't want her.

Dawn's respiration both sped up and deepened as Xander touched her face. She couldn't restrain a whimper and she felt herself grow damp between her legs. She wanted him so badly that it made her body ache.

Xander felt himself getting stiff when he saw her pink tongue dart out to moisten her lips. He shook his head again at how stupid he'd been not to have made a move on Buffy's little sister. "Dawn, right now, in that toga… Oh god," he groaned when he looked down and saw her nipples poking through the material. He had to exert serious effort to drag his eyes back up to meet Dawn's. "I want you Dawn. It's not just what you're wearing. It's you."

Dawn couldn't speak. This was every fantasy she'd ever had- Xander was telling her she was the one he desired. She felt her mouth go dry as he stood up, bent over and brought his lips to hers.

Their first kiss was brief, a gentle press of the lips, and a moment to enjoy the warmth of each other's skin, and then it ended.

It was as though a dam burst inside Dawn and years of repressed desire rushed forth. She grabbed with both hands this boy that she'd been in love with since she first saw him- gripping his tunic in her fists and mashing her mouth against his.

Xander had planned on pulling away to gauge her reaction, and then maybe talking some more, despite the pressure between his legs. Instead hefound himself lying on top of Dawn with her tongue in his mouth.

Dawn could feel Xander's dick pressing into her hip and she wanted it. She wanted to have it inside her so badly that she didn't think she could go on without it. She broke their kiss and whimpered, "Xander? I need you Xander. I need you now! Please?"

Xander's eyes grew wide and he almost choked in surprise. "You sure?"

Dawn nodded so fast that Xander was afraid she'd hurt herself. He got up so that he was standing between where her legs were dangling off the edge of the couch. He heard her cry "No!" and shook his head in amazement. He'd brought her to the guard house hoping she'd accept the fact that he loved Buffy, and that would be it. Not doing all of this. He shook his head again and reassured her, "I'm not leaving, Dawn."

When he pulled away, Dawn thought she would die. "No!" she cried, "We were so close!" she thought. When he shook his head and said he wasn't leaving, her smile lit up her whole face.

Xander pulled his shirt off over his head and, before he could even toss it aside, Dawn was sitting up and running her hands over his chest.

Dawn couldn't not touch him- she'd dreamed of it for so long! She ran her hands over his body and even leaned forward to kiss and lick his chest. She was amazed at how forward and aggressive she was being- but she couldn't help herself. She ran her hands down his chest and stomach until she was interrupted by the waistband of his pants. She looked up at his eyes and enjoyed the shock she saw when she started to undo his belt.

Xander felt most of the blood in his body shoot straight to his dick when Dawn started to open his pants. He already felt like he was going to cum any second. If she got a hold of him he was going to embarrass himself before she even took off any clothes! He reached down and grabbed her hands, pulling away before got further than unbuckling the belt and undoing the button. "How about I do that while you take off your clothes?" he asked his voice cracking slightly.

Dawn pouted but it was too late as he had sat down on the couch to get his sandals off. She gulped back her fear and stood up, slowly pulling her toga up over her head. She heard Xander gasp as she uncovered her breasts, and blushed as she finished pulling the toga off of her head, and quickly dropped her underwear before she lost her nerve.

Xander quickly finished undressing, leaving his boxer shorts on for the moment. The same boxer shorts he had when he was transported from his apartment into Rome. He took in the vision that was Dawn Summers. He had never expected that she has such a nice body. Slender, but curvy. Yes, she was pale and freckled here and there, but her skin looked like milk-colored satin. He had to feel her.

Dawn was embarrassed as she stood nearly naked before her friend. She covered her breasts with her hands and couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. She didn't miss the way his boxers were pulled away from his waist by his erection, however. She hoped she'd get to see it soon; she'd fantasized about it for years.

"You are… Perfect!" Xander exhaled loudly, not realizing he'd been holding his breath. "So beautiful; you've been hiding in all those heavy clothes!" He stepped to her and gently pulled her hands from her small breasts.

She wanted to protest, to say that she wasn't beautiful, but the feel of his hands covering her breasts and squeezing ever so gently took her breath away.

"It's like you were made to fit my hands," Xander observed. It was a cheesy, romance-novel thing to say, but he hadn't meant it as anything other than a fact. Her breasts fit into his hands with just the tiniest bit left over. He ran his thumbs over her nipples in a slow circle, marveling at their size and stiffness compared to the soft flesh they capped.

Dawn felt her knees wobble when he started stroking her nipples, and all that came out was a quiet cry of desperate need as she sat down on the couch. She pulled herself back and laid down so that she was all the way on the couch and said, "Xander, please! I- I need you now. I need to have you inside me. Please?"

Xander crawled over his soon to be lover and kissed her for a moment and then looked in her eyes. "Dawn, I love you. I'm so sorry it took a while before this happened."

Dawn put her fingers on his lips to quit him from apologizing yet again. "I love you too, Xander. I have loved you since I met you. Please… make love to me?"

Xander was amazed again, but he had no intention of letting her down. He pulled back and stroked his hands down from her breasts to the waistband of her pink panties. Watching her eyes for any change of heart, he pulled them down her legs and off, tossing them aside.

"Oh, wow!" Xander breathed when he looked at Dawn's nest of brown curls. He caressed her legs, moving up the inside of her thighs to the hot, fur-covered flesh. He stroked gently over her sex, beyond amazed that he was here, touching his friend this way. He listened to Dawn's gasping moans and was so aroused that he got just a little light headed.

Dawn moaned and gasped as Xander gently explored her most intimate flesh. His touch electrified her and the ache she was feeling grew more and more acute. She wailed when he brushed over her engorged bundle of nerves.

Xander snatched his hands away when Dawn cried out loudly, but a momentary glance at her face, seeing the lust and pleasure written there, calmed his incipient panic. Her quick cries of "There! Don't quit! Right there!" let him know he'd found a very good thing, not a bad one. He moved to lay down between her legs, wanting a closer look at what he was doing. He had to lay on his side in order not to rub his over-stimulated cock on anything. He knew he was not going to make it very long once he started touching anything with that. He could already feel the cold stickiness where the front of his boxers got wet from his cum, and cooled in the air.

Dawn cried out in appreciation as Xander's fingers returned to her pussy, dragging some of the moisture up from the weeping core and onto her throbbing clit. He had no style or technique, just rubbing up and down over her nub, but it was enough to make her squirm in pleasure, her

breathing quickening even further, coming now in shallow gasps. She tried to lift her knees up in order to open herself even further to him, but only succeeded in moving her right, as she discovered that her left was being used as a pillow for Xander's head. She almost wondered when he had laid down, but the feeling of his fingers on her slippery sex took up all of her mental processing power.

Xander had seen magazines and videos, but to see Dawn's pussy up close, bright pink where he had moved the furred outer lips apart with one hand. Her moans, cries and quivering flesh were as fascinating as they were intoxicating. And the smell! An intense musky richness was filling his nostrils. It was unlike anything he'd ever encountered before. It made his mouth water, but he didn't quite feel brave enough to taste the creamy white secretions covering his fingers. Not this time anyway.

It was only a couple of minutes before Xander couldn't wait any longer himself. His dick was so stiff that it felt like a hot iron bar jutting from his body. He wanted nothing more than to slide into this hot wetness he was stroking with his fingers.

Dawn wanted to cry again when Xander pulled away once more. She had to blink her eyes several times to bring him into focus. When she did, she saw him once again standing by the couch, this time he was just stepping out of his underwear and her breath caught at the sight of his stiff penis, standing straight out from a dark tangle of hair. She had no way to judge comparative sizes, it didn't really even occur to her. She just knew she wanted to feel that inside her as soon as possible.

She knew it would hurt, everyone said it hurt the first time, but she wanted that, not the pain, but to give Xander that part of her, to have him be the one she gave her virginity to. She wanted that almost as badly as she wanted to have him resolve this pressure and tension inside her. She once again begged, "Xander! Please! I need you!"

Xander needed it as badly as she did. He thought he'd go insane if he didn't sink into this beautiful, amazing girl. He jumped onto the couch, landing on his knees before her. He leaned forward and moved his engorged flesh against hers, seeking the way into heaven.

Dawn reached down to guide him into her. When she had him lined up and he started to slip in, she felt this amazing burning feeling inside her. It was completely new and it felt intense. Pleasure and a little pain erupted in her and suddenly a horrible tearing sensation as he breached her maidenhead.

Xander froze as he heard Dawn's whimpers turn to a painful yelp. Even in his hyper-aroused state, he immediately thought of her first, "God, Dawn! Are you...?" he began to slide out as he tried to ask if she was ok.

Dawn had a few tears running down her face and all she could manage was to rasp out, "Don't move!"

Xander stilled once again, and then figured out what had happened. He had heard the first time hurt for girls. He realized that he had 'popped her cherry' so to speak. He didn't realize how accurate that expression was.

After several moments, the tearing pain subsided, and the warm burning feeling returned, even stronger. Her arousal, which had cooled quickly with the pain, began to heat up just as quickly. "Ok. It's ok now, Xander," she whispered.

"You sure?" he asked, still worried that he was hurting her.

Dawn nodded her head and asked, "Please?"

Xander had needed every bit of his limited willpower to keep from moving

in the first place, so her request was easily granted and he sank himself the rest of the way inside her, their moans harmonizing as he was fully cradled between her thighs. He looked deep into her eyes and

said, "Dawn, I love you. You'll be okay."

Dawn was pretty much a puddle of goo as it was, but everything that was left melted at his words. "I love you, Xander!" she cried. Her cry quickly turned to a moan as he began moving inside her again.

Xander wanted to go slow, to make it last, but he couldn't help himself as he sped up, till there was no rhythm to his movements, just jerky thrusts as his orgasm over took him.

Dawn cried, "Oh Xander, please more! I need. I need."

Xander kept pumping in and out as fast as he could as he poured himself into Dawn. Fortunately it didn't take too long before Dawn screamed her pleasure out at the top of her lungs. Xander's breath was taken away as he felt Dawn's muscles quiver around his cock. He'd never imagined anything like that in his life and he ended up collapsing on top of the shuddering Dawn.

Dawn felt herself pressed deep into the couch for a moment, but Xander had enough awareness, and just enough strength to roll off of her. She would have moaned at the loss of his touch, but he quickly pulled her up against him, so that she was draped over his side as he lay on his back. Draped was the only way to describe it- she felt boneless and spent.

Xander felt much the same. He breathed, "Dawn," as sleep overtook him.

If he'd remained awake another three seconds, he would have heard her breathe his name. Dawn sighed, as she too entered the land of slumber. Before she was about to fall asleep, she thought about how much she was looking forward to having it happen again.

After she'd had lunch at the cafeteria, Buffy thanked the guardsmen who had given her an escort, then left the cafeteria and headed to her chambers.

As a cool breeze whipped around her, she wrapped her arms around her chest for warmth, wishing she had a coat on. She didn't expect it to rain today.

She'd no more than twisted the knob of the door to her room, when she spotted Willow walking away from her room, rubbing her arms in a similar fashion that Buffy had done.

When Buffy called her name, Willow broke into a warm smile and strode towards her friend.

"What are you up to, Willow?" Buffy asked.

"I was just relaxing in my room."

"It's getting pretty cold and rainy today. Why don't we head to my chambers to talk?"

"Okay, thanks. I'd appreciate that."

Moments later, Willow was seated inside Buffy's room. As Buffy closed the windows in her room, she said, "You won't guess what Xander and I did today…"

"Went to the city?"

"Oh, so you know…"

Willow smiled, a light sparkling in her blue eyes. "As Emperor, we can find Xander anytime."

"Well, I wonder where he is now…" Buffy went to a seat across from Willow and tossed her a smile, "I'm glad you're here Willow. I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"The sex we had with Xander. It's made things awkward between us."

Willow swallowed deeply. What Buffy said sucked the air out of her lungs.

"How do you feel about what we did? Did you like it?" Willow finally asked.

"You mean did I like licking your pussy? Yes I did. It was a good time but it's not like it meant anything." Buffy's gaze locked on Willow's.

"I know. We did it for Xander," Willow said.

"I know… but I didn't have to go too far with you. You were okay with what I did, right?"

Willow didn't know how to respond. Then after a moment, she spoke, "I am not bisexual Buffy and I'd be lying if I hadn't pondered the idea of you and I together," Willow added. "I enjoyed it very much and if I wasn't so into Xander right now, I would have wanted to be with you…"

Xander came to Buffy's mind, but so did thoughts of her and Willow. Opting for time to process what Willow was saying, she said, "I really didn't know what I was doing… I figured since I haven't spent much time with you that this would be a good thing…"

"I felt the same way," Willow said. "You and Xander were together so often, I rarely had time to spend with you. This was the one time where I could spend it with you."

Buffy was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Willow could see it in her face.

"What's the matter?" Willow asked. When Buffy didn't respond and was looking down at the floor, Willow reached out and patted her arm. "It's okay Buffy. We have time for each other now. Look at us now."

"It's just weird. The fact that you're a lesbian makes things weird for me, Willow," Buffy said. "And you like Xander? God, how many women like him?"

"You, Dawn, and me. So far as I know. That Annia girl might like him too," Willow said. "We can't all have him, you know? I mean of course you have him, but Dawn and I…"

One tear slipped down Buffy's cheek, followed by another, and she swiped them away with her fingers. "Well, I promise I will do my best to not act like things are weird between us."

"Nothing's weird between us, Buffy," Willow said. "You're just uncomfortable because you feel like I have feelings for you. I do, but I love Xander."

At that, Buffy smiled. "I know."

"You're my dearest friend and so is Xander. So if Xander wants to be with you, I have to respect that. As for Dawn…" Willow trailed off, expecting Buffy to finish what she was saying.

"That's a different story. I'll have to talk with her too," Buffy said.

The first light drops of rain misted Xander and Dawn's faces, as he and Dawn walked along the Palace corridors.

"That was amazing, Xander."

"No, Dawn," Xander muttered under his breath. "Tell me what you really think." He winced when Dawn affectionately punched him in the arm. They went up to the door of his personal physician's office. Dawn had led him there so Xander could meet him.

"Uh," Dawn whispered in his ear. "You're under lock and key now. No girl other than Buffy. I might have to get a leash now."

"Yes, ma'am," Xander shuffled uncomfortably under Dawn's mocking gaze, all too aware she was not joking. He turned to Dawn, looking at her. "This is a secret. Okay?"

"Sure," Dawn nodded. As he was about to enter Galen's office, he felt a hand on his arm.

Turning, he saw Dawn smiling up at him. "Thanks for everything, Xander." Dawn ran her free hand up his neck before pulling him down into a long, passionate kiss, her tongue sliding into his mouth and his into hers. Dawn didn't pull away until he started to gasp for air. Dawn trailed her fingers down his face, an affectionate half-smile playing on her full, heart-shaped lips before she spoke. "I'll find you later," Dawn laughed before walking away down the Palace corridor.

"That wasn't very secretive." Shaking his head in amused bemusement, he turned towards the door to Galen's office. "Well my life's not too complicated."


	42. A Prisoner of Principle

"Caesar, what are you doing here?" Galen's cheerful smile was completely natural and not the least bit forced.

"I wanted to meet the man who called for a meeting with Dawn. I wanted to thank you for doing that," he explained. "Are you busy?"

Galen said his goodbye to his male assistants at his desk and stood up from his chair and walked over to where Xander was standing outside his open door. He flashed him a warm smile as he opened the door wider for Xander, then walked around to his side.

"I've wanted to meet you for quite some time," Galen said simply as he pulled out a chair for Xander to sit in at the front of his desk. He walked around the desk and sat back in his chair. As he did this, his male assistant walked out through the open door and closed it.

"So you've been the physician for many Emperors I heard," Xander said, tilting his head back to feel the refreshing breeze blowing in from the side window of his office.

"I've been the Emperor's personal physician since Marcus Aurelius. I was close with his son, Commodus, who I treated for all his common illnesses. I briefly knew Pertinax and didn't know much of Didius Julianus. I got to know Septimius Severus and his wife and their children. They were good people before the former was unceremoniously killed, and the latter exiled by you…" Galen explained sternly. "I couldn't help wondering if their exile weighed heavily on you. I know you and Julia had an affair."

Galen tossed him a quizzical look that Xander was oddly reluctant to meet. It was funny how up until this moment as Emperor he had been full of confidence and self-assurance. Now he found himself uncomfortable and unwilling to confront his mistakes.

"You know you're always welcome to open up to me. I always serve the Emperor to the best of my ability, even if I disagree with decisions they make," Galen explained further, inferring at the end his disapproval of Xander's exile of Julia and her two boys.

"I didn't trust Julia," Xander managed to answer with great effort.

"She wouldn't have killed you," Galen muttered, his strong hands gripping his desk. "You could have kept her here. She and her boys were harmless."

With a stab of guilt Xander knew he could have done things differently. In truth, Xander agreed with Galen's assessment of Julia being a good person, but he didn't agree with her being harmless. Her concealed dagger and attempt to use it on him during his speech was proof of that.

"I know you were close with them… I'm sorry all these things happened," Xander said quickly. His words threatened to tumble over themselves in a rush to get out. He breathed in deeply to gain control. "You know how politics is, Galen."

"You can't honestly say that what you did was related to politics," Galen grumbled.

"It's as much my fault as the situation I was put in."

"I find that tough to believe," Galen sighed.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it, okay?!" The violence of his response surprised Xander until he remembered how Galen had arranged for his meeting with Dawn in the first place. "I don't want to talk about it, Galen," he repeated more calmly.

"I understand, Xander." His blue eyes roamed over Xander's features, recognizing obvious remorse for what he had done. The remorse was enough to satisfy Galen's frustration that he had lost his friend Julia and her children which he considered his own. "You know I can only heal the wounds on someone's body, but not their soul. I used to work in Pergamon as physician to gladiators of the High Priest of Asia. I was there four years and there were hundreds of gladiatorial combat where men were risking their lives. Only five men died under my care and I saw a lot of patients. The physician before me had around sixty die and he saw about the same patients. This is attributed to me paying attention to the wounds and I can see your wound very clearly. You feel guilty about it, don't you?"

"Everyone feels guilty about things they've done," was as much as Xander could admit before lifting his head up proudly to show it didn't affect him too much.

"You don't have any family, do you? I want to know everything about you," Galen said with grim determination. "Are you an orphan?"

"No. I had an abusive father and a submissive mother. My mother did everything my father wanted. If my father asked her to not give me attention, she would listen to him. That happened a lot. My father competing for my mother's attention and he got it most of the time," Xander responded calmly, not feeling uncomfortable sharing personal information to Galen.

"No brothers or sisters?"

"No." Xander stared out the window. "I don't know if it would have made a difference. I always felt alone at home."

"Your rise to become Emperor is well documented. You may not know this but almost all of Rome knows you killed the leaders of the Praetorian Guard. They also know you served under Severus and were loyal to him. What most of them don't know but I know since I was part of Pertinax's inner circle, was that you were set to be executed the day Pertinax was assassinated, weren't you?" But Xander didn't look to him for confirmation. "That must have been a rough time for you. I was in the crowd when you made your eloquent speech. I did some research on Cato's wife and daughter… They were unlawfully murdered by the Praetorian Guard. The young girl was raped before she was killed. You knew these people. I can see how you were affected by their murders and how you took the initiative to kill those responsible within the Praetorian Guard. Even though the majority of Romans do not know about you nearly dying the day of Pertinax's assassination or the subsequent motivation for killing the Praetorian guardsmen responsible for the women's deaths, luckily I do and I know some biographers who can add this to your biography so eventually the world will know about what you did. I find this to be the most inspirational biography of a man who became Emperor I have ever known. Did you know I knew about the Praetorian guardsmen killing your friend Cimberius?" The sympathy in Galen's voice cried out to Xander. Galen very nearly told him everything he knew with every sordid detail, but somehow Galen decided not to.

"You should write the biography yourself," Xander managed a smile.

"Well I am missing a lot of important facts about you. Where you are from, for example. Most Romans don't seem to care which is unprecedented since many of these same Romans are hostile to outsiders. They all assume you to be Roman since you were approved of by Severus… But I know better. Can you tell me where you are from?"

"It doesn't matter where I'm from."

"But for the biography, Xander," Galen said.

"Please, let's change the subject," Xander said impatiently, the beginnings of a migraine pounding in his temples.

"I'll be glad to drop the subject," Galen sighed, giving him a look that was both passionate and stubborn, "if you tell me about you and Dawn's meeting."

Xander didn't respond to Galen's request.

"Well, Xander?" Galen asked.

"Damn it, you're getting too personal." Xander pushed his dark hair behind his ears and stared outside the window where he saw a mirror like body of water reflecting the surrounding hills in the distant afternoon sun. "I don't know how to explain it to you."

"I was wondering about Dawn. I am concerned about her health. Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's doing good," Xander said weakly, looking away before he succumbed to the large smile that gave away what had happened.

"I will keep this a secret between you and I," Galen nodded, wisely not pushing him on what had happened. A wistful smile played over Galen. "You have women all over you, Xander. Reminds me of Commodus. Be careful because it was one of his mistresses, Marcia, who got him killed. You assume women won't harm you but they do the most harm. I cannot stress that more to you."

Xander's stomach fell with sickening suddenness as he realized that by having sex with Dawn that this would cause friction between him and Buffy if and when she found out. The grim look on Galen's face did little to ease the frightened hammering of Xander's heart.

"If you feel threatened or in danger, feel free to talk to me," Galen said quietly, a reassuring hand closing over his.

Xander cast Galen a grateful glance as Galen's door opened and Galen removed his hand from Xander's and looked at who was there. It was Trebonius.

"Sorry to interrupt, but can I talk with Xander?" Trebonius inquired calmly, his steel-blue eyes glancing at Galen.

Galen sighed, realizing his intriguing one-on-one conversation with Xander was over. "You arrived at the perfect time. We were just done talking." Galen turned to gaze at Xander. "You can come by anytime to talk."

Galen's expression was plainly saying that Xander didn't have to go with Trebonius if he didn't want to, but Xander smiled to let him know he didn't mind.

"Thanks for the talk and advice, Galen," Xander told him. Before Xander had a chance to change his mind, Trebonius' hand closed over his arm, propelling him out of Galen's office. Xander looked a little agitated as he got reluctantly tugged out of Galen's office.

"I was meaning to talk to you, Xander," Trebonius sighed meaningfully, "but I know that you are busy as Emperor, but just let me tell you a few things."

"How are Julia and her children?" Xander demanded, his eyes flashing a glance at Trebonius who was calmly leading him through the Palace.

"They are doing well. That's one of the things I wanted to tell you. They were frightened at first but at the harbor where other guards took them on a boat, they seemed happy they were leaving Rome," Trebonius replied with a slight smile.

Xander looked down at the marble floor with a slight smile of his own. He was happy that Julia and her children were content with his decision to send them into exile. Suddenly, as if remembering something he had forgotten, he lifted his head up and looked at Trebonius, "by the way, thanks for saving me when Julia was about to attack me with a knife." Xander had remembered how Trebonius struck Julia's knife away from her as she attempted to stab him. Xander figured he would have done the same since he was prepared to defend himself but he didn't know for sure how things would have turned out if Trebonius hadn't helped him.

"No problem. I consider you a brother to me so I won't let anything happen to you if I'm around." His gaze explored his face. "The time we spent together killing the Praetorian guardsmen was the highlight of my life. I thank you for that honor it brings to me and my family. I also can't tell you how much pussy I get because of it."

"It was a highlight of mine too," Xander continued. He grinned at Trebonius. "Thanks for your help, Trebonius."

"Hey Xander, I heard your speech. You don't have to thank me," Trebonius retorted.

Xander nodded quietly. The two turned a corner and started down another long hallway.

"What else do you have to tell me?" Xander asked.

"I ran into Annia the other day. The woman who I heard about that nearly got you killed during your speech. She wanted to speak to you. But, I have to tell you about her," Trebonius said, surprising Xander with the seriousness of his tone.

"What about her?" Xander asked, figuring that he knew what Trebonius would tell him.

"She's well known throughout the Imperial Palace. I talked with some senators and they said that she had given them sexual favors for her father." Trebonius' 'sexual' was said with mocking emphasis. "If I were you, I'd be suspicious of her intentions."

Xander was coolly composed and he merely shrugged. "So she fucks men for her father. What's wrong with that?"

Trebonius was taken aback by Xander's calmness to his revelation. He stared at Xander's face, trying to figure out why he felt so unmoved and what made him so accepting and calm about his announcement.

"You know that she does this?" Trebonius asked, realizing that Xander knew.

With a nod of his head, Xander turned to stare at him. "Yes. I was at the Coliseum earlier today. I saw her after she had given a senator oral sex."

"Damn, she's still doing it." His comment was accompanied by a wry smile. "Those lucky old men."

"If she does anything with me sexual, I'm sure it won't be because of her father," Xander said simply.

"What if it is?" Trebonius asked softly. They both quit walking down the hall and stood staring at each other, both pondering what Trebonius had asked.

Xander stood motionless, afraid that what Trebonius had implied could be true. Very slowly he regained control of his clamoring nerves and shook his head.

"She wouldn't do it for her dad," Xander said firmly.

"What makes you so different? Because you're Emperor? This bitch doesn't give a shit that you are. She loves her father more than anyone. Hell, if her father asks her to kill you, she would." There was speculation in Trebonius' narrowed gaze.

"Her father is consul. If I die, would it be conceivable that he become Emperor?" Xander countered nervously.

Trebonius shrugged. "I don't know. But it's conceivable. He's beloved by the Senate because of his daughter."

"You know I trust this woman. But who knows?" Xander ran a nervous hand over his dark hair. "I told her a lot of things I shouldn't have. I told her I was a Christian."

"What? You're a Christian?!" Trebonius said harshly.

"Hey, calm down." Xander's eyes begged for his understanding. "It was a personal conversation. I trusted her to be a good woman… not a scheming political toy for her father. I fucked up, Trebonius…" he ended with a resigning shake of his head. "You mentioned how busy I am as Emperor. I don't give a fuck about whatever paperwork I have to do but this is what I have to deal with first."

"I understand, Xander. I won't tell anyone you're a Christian," Trebonius sighed, running a hand wearily through his own dark hair. "If she tells her father or has told her father, you will be killed."

Xander's face heated at Trebonius' implication and Trebonius hurried to change the subject.

"Speaking of busy, you should get to meet the Senate soon-"

"Find me a poisoner and send him or her to me before nightfall," Xander's voice slashed out at him, staring at Trebonius with cold anger in his face.

Trebonius gasped. "Xander, you aren't considering-"

"It's too risky. Romans hate Christians and right now with all these Emperors dying here and there, I can't take a chance." Xander kept his chilling gaze on Trebonius, making sure not to feel any guilt over his sudden decision to meet with a poisoner.

"Who are you going to poison?" Trebonius demanded, darting a frightened look at Xander's stern face.

"I don't plan on poisoning anyone… yet," Xander said dryly. "But if I have to, it will be her father. According to what you told me, he has a lot of influence in the Senate."

"Well, Xander," Trebonius exclaimed with a good-natured slap on his shoulder. "I agree with whatever you feel is necessary to keep you safe. I will find one."

"Find one who is experienced and has done something like this before," Xander announced. Sliding a glance at Trebonius, he added, "and keep this quiet. Nobody but you, I, and the poisoner should know about this."

"It's too bad that Annia turned out to be her father's whore," Trebonius murmured. "I wouldn't be surprised if she'd done her favors on her father as well."

"She's a lost girl," Xander said, touching a hand to his shoulder. "I'll talk to her tonight and based on my conversation with her… I will decide if it needs to be done."

"You'll be fine, Xander. The Roman people love you," Trebonius with a glint in his eyes.

"It's not the Roman people I'm worried about. It's Falco," Xander said, pulling back his arm from Trebonius' shoulder. "Bring the poisoner to me before nightfall?" he murmured.

Trebonius nodded politely. "Of course."

Xander's troubled eyes met his. "Talk to you later, then, Trebonius," he nodded absently.

Trebonius flicked him an amused glance as he bade him goodbye.

"Brittany?" Dawn tipped her head around the bedroom curtains, her brown curls falling over one shoulder.

A faint smile went across Brittany's face at the sight of Dawn. Brittany was sitting in the middle of one single bed, a pillow clutched tightly in her arms as she stared dreamily into space.

"Brittany, it's the afternoon now! You should be out and about!" Dawn stood poised outside her curtain, a hand resting on a slim but nicely curved hip, her blue eyes laughing at Brittany's dazed expression.

"Must I?" Brittany sighed. Then she pushed her petite frame from the bed and walked restlessly to Dawn, pushing aside the curtain to look at Dawn. "Did you talk to Xander?"

"More than that!" Dawn pushed her way through the curtains and walked into Brittany's bedroom. She turned around to face Brittany, a frightened happiness lighting a radiant glow in her somewhat plain face. "We had sex. 'I' had sex."

Brittany was speechless and shocked for a moment before her sensual mouth curved into a wide smile that laughed gently at Dawn. She had known Dawn long enough not to take offense.

"I have to keep repeating it or I will not believe it actually happened. I'm not beautiful like Buffy. I couldn't believe he told me I was beautiful like Buffy… that he wanted me. But I never believed he could actually be serious about me!"

"I guess I was wrong that he wouldn't agree with being with you. Good job, sport," Brittany winked broadly.

Dawn draped a blanket from Brittany's disorganized bed over her shoulders, a regretful look stealing over her features. A look of guilt dimmed the light in her blue eyes. "I don't how Buffy will react when she finds out. I have no intentions of ending the affair."

"I imagine Xander would have to worry about that more than you," Brittany reminded her. "Either way, you've gotten yourself into a love triangle that's guaranteed to cause heartbreak."

"I mean if I can keep it a secret…"

"Who were we kidding, Dawn? I can keep a secret. Xander and you can keep a secret. But eventually it will be discovered. You're Buffy's sister for crying out loud!" Brittany exclaimed as she maintained her focus on Dawn's eyes. "It seems that Xander is willing to share you two… you are willing to let him share Buffy and you… Ultimately you're only hope is to get Buffy to allow this two women thing…"

"I suppose that's my only hope." Dawn sighed and leaned heavily against the bed frame. Absently her hand reached up, separating a strand of dark hair from the others to twist it around her finger. "It's just that when you love someone it doesn't seem fair that the person you love can be with someone else beside you."

"Xander loves Buffy. And eventually, he will love you. You've made it so obvious that you were in love with him, and then you found a way to get him to have sex with you. It's only a matter of time before he loves both of you."

The first sentence was the only one Dawn heard. "I don't understand why Xander's always loved Buffy. She's been with vampires all the time and she hid the Spike affair from him."

Brittany tipped her head to the side, her brown hair curling about her shoulders. "If you're okay with Xander sharing you with your sister you cannot be jealous, Dawn. I bet you think your face and figure aren't exactly spectacular compared to Buffy, but inside you're a very beautiful person. Opposites always attract, anyway. Xander has a very strong protective instinct and your shyness brings it out. Plus I think he likes the way you worship him with those big blue eyes of yours."

There was more that Brittany didn't say, but she thought it to herself. Xander liked the idea that he was the man many women desired. Brittany knew that Buffy wore the pants in their relationship and that possibly, Xander would like to have someone to dominate in a nice way and Dawn would be that person. Brittany also knew he was a very ambitious guy. It wasn't that he was self-centered and would willingly share another woman with Buffy. He wanted to be absolutely sure that no one was hurt emotionally and seeing Dawn hurting with love for him would have made Xander want to please her. Xander was just a good guy.

"I wish that were the truth," Dawn frowned, twisting the lock of hair tighter around her fingers. "I just don't know what he sees in me aside from me coming on to him…"

"You'll find out the more you talk with him." Brittany walked back over to the bed and sat down on the bed beside Dawn. "Men are like boys, Dawn. Once you recognize that, you can act accordingly. All you have to do, Dawn, is to make him feel good when he does something good and don't give him anything when he does something bad. It's like giving him toys for good behavior and not giving them for bad behavior."

"Easy for you to say. You had him for six months." A faintly envious note crept into Dawn's voice as she scanned Brittany's features.

"That's true," Brittany agreed matter-of-factly. "What I did I tell you about being jealous? The moment you start getting jealous with Xander is the moment you will put him in an even more complicated position he already is in."

The strand of brown hair was released from Dawn's hair, Brittany's voice trailing away as she stood up from the bed and walked out of the bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Dawn inquired absently.

"You are right. I need to be out and about," was the shrugging response.

Footsteps approached, unhurried and light. Buffy and Willow's heads turned in the direction of the footsteps, wondering who was coming.

They both knew it could be Xander yet astonishment crackled through them at the sight of Xander who came into view.

"Hello, Caesar!" Marcus, his main assistant called.

Xander ignored both Buffy and Willow to walk directly to Marcus.

"You have to address the Senate in ten minutes. You should leave," Marcus announced, nodding his head at the door he came in to indicate the urgency of leaving. "The Curia Julia will be packed. We should get there early."

"I just need to relax a bit," Xander breathed.

"As Emperor, you don't relax!" Marcus joked, walking away towards the door and heading for the exit. As he stepped out of the room, he turned to Xander. "I'll gather the guards for an escort. You have two minutes…"

"I wish I had a female assistant," Xander whispered quietly to himself, turning to walk over where Buffy and Willow were sitting. "Then I could tolerate her."

"It's nice to see you ladies here. Last time I saw you together…" Xander trailed off, a smile deepening across his face.

"I… I hope you're joining us," Willow offered politely with enthusiasm.

"I wish I could." Then the Emperor's gaze swung from Willow to Buffy, a sudden chill running down his spine, realizing he had decided to keep his sex with Dawn a secret. "Hey Buffy."

"Hey Xander," Buffy said lightly.

"I had a nice meeting with Dawn," Xander declared in a husky voice, knowing that Buffy would ask him how his meeting with Dawn was. A very nice meeting, Xander thought to himself. "I must admit that I can get used to women liking me."

"You are Emperor so you shouldn't have a problem," Buffy murmured.

Xander glanced through the corner of her lashes as though fearful she might suddenly realize how he had cheated on her with Dawn. Warm, green eyes affectionately returned his skeptical look.

"You'll probably grateful that Dawn loves her sister. If you were with another woman, she would not be accepting of it that's for sure," Buffy continued. "I'm guessing you told her that you love me and she agreed and that was it, right?"

"You don't have to ask Xander, Buffy. He's a trustworthy guy… right Xand?" Willow couldn't help inserting herself into the conversation.

"Yes I am trustworthy. According to whom you ask." A cold smile was directed at Willow for making him more uncomfortable than he already was. It was clearly a knock at Xander for his affair with Julia, the last Emperor's wife. "Let's not talk about trust now, Will, okay?"

"Where are you going?" Willow returned with some surprise at Xander's hostility towards her. Knowing him since they were children, she knew to change the subject.

"Curia Julia," was the complacent reply. "I don't even know what to tell the senators. I guess I just have to sound like I know what I'm doing. That should work."

"Tell them you will serve their interests, etc," Willow suggested dryly.

"I don't even know what their interests are." Xander's shoulders shrugged as if to say he didn't even care what their interests were. "As Emperor, I have a lot of responsibilities. Unfortunately speaking before them is one I have to have."

"You have a responsibility to spend time with your friends too," Willow grinned, indifferent to the invisible sparks flying between Buffy and Xander. "I intend to spend as much time as I can with my friends."

"Well you're not Emperor, Will," Xander laughed throatily. "Maybe in a week, you'll know what it feels to be me."

"Maybe she doesn't want to be you," Buffy said, defending Willow's statement. "She has a point, Xander. You got to have time for your friends. All of your friends… not just Dawn."

The light shining in Xander's eyes said he could be whatever Buffy wanted him to be. In that silent second, Xander forgot himself as Emperor and remembered the reason why he was Emperor in the first place. His mission was to do everything in his power to make certain all of his friends were safe and lived happily ever after, as the fairy tales put it.

"I promise you I will spend more time with my friends," Xander inserted smoothly, turning towards the door at the end of the room. "I have to go do this speech. I will be busy throughout the night. Hopefully I will see you tonight or tomorrow morning," Xander started to walk towards the exit.

Buffy and Willow followed Xander gliding effortlessly over the marble floor that covered the room.

"I hope you girls enjoy yourselves at the Palace," Xander said while he waited for them to catch up. "I will see you later."

"Sounds fine," Buffy nodded, looking at Willow for confirmation and she nodded as well.

"Good," Xander said softly. With a brief smile, he walked across the room, opened the door and stepped outside where Marcus and several guards were waiting.

Buffy and Willow's eyes sparkled with appreciation and admiration as they watched Xander leave.

Buffy turned to Willow standing beside her. "I love him so much," Buffy murmured.

Willow sighed. "Me too."

The Senate filed into the large hall through the individual entrances, mumbling quietly between themselves as they sat down in their individual seats. Some of the Senators looked around to see who else was there, whilst others muttered disparagingly at having been called to this mandatory meeting. Many had woken up this morning, hoping to go back to their homes and visit their families or friends, only to be told that the Emperor would deal with them in what would be an introductory speech as Emperor. Manny were questioning what the purpose of this meeting was and whether they should be worried by the fact that what appeared to be the entire Senate was present for this session. Obviously, it was something important, as the Emperor would be presiding over the Curia Julia.

Eventually, all fell silent as Xander began to climb the steps to the Emperor's seat. All eyes were on the Emperor as he made his way to sit at the Emperor's chair. To his left stood his advisors whom were the same as the previous Emperors, and on his right, two consuls, Falco and Vibianus, dressed in an all purple toga; in contrast to the rest of the senators who had a white toga with a broad purple stripe across it. Both consuls spotted Xander and expected to be introduced when he first spoke. Eventually, Xander went to the position in front of his chair and remained standing.

"Senators," he said, inclining his head to the assembled audience, his voice brittle. "My sincere apologies for calling you here today. I feel like you do in that I don't want to be here today. I did not even know I had this meeting until ten minutes ago." His attempt at humor did not arise any laughter, but he knew he had to say it to ease the visibly frustrated senators who seemed like they didn't want to be there. "However, as I am sure that you all know, I am Emperor. Forgive me if I present myself as a fool or as a naïve person. I am very young and ignorant of how things run here."

A murmur of shock ran through the Senate; some were sure that they had misheard. The Emperor of the Roman Empire admitted to being young and ignorant, the supreme leader of the world? The Emperor waited for the murmur to die down before he continued.

"Now, I don't want to waste your time but there is one issue I want to talk with you about," he said slowly, and some noticed a hint of disgust to his voice. "I have heard the past few days as Emperor that Severus and Romans in general intend to persecute Christians..." He trailed off as he tried to choose his words without offending his opponents, which would probably include everyone inside the Curia Julia. "Now can someone educate me more on this matter…?"

A sound came from the Emperor's right hand side; it was Falco. He stood up slowly from his seat and spoke, "The Emperor asks to be educated on this matter and I will do so. Under Severus' law those accused of being Christians have to be forced to curse Jesus and make an offering to the Roman gods or be executed."

A shout of approval ran around the Senate. The Emperor frowned. He feared that the punishment for being a Christian would be severe but he didn't realize how strict Severus' law was. Execution? It seemed way too severe. The only positive that Xander heard from Falco was that he seemed not to know that he was Christian, which meant that Annia may not have told him that he was Christian.

"Well, thanks Falco for explaining, " Xander addressed the audience, his lips curling into an ugly smile. "Now the reason why I asked is because I don't know much about legal matters such as taxes and so forth. I am a military man as most of you know. So the only thing I know about is the Romans hatred of Christians. And, indeed, this hatred may be justified in your eyes. But I tend to look at alternative ways to deal with problems. Sure, we can kill them for their belief but couldn't the punishment be jail or shame?"

"You're talking about changing laws that have been in place for decades," came a high, strong voice. As one, the Senate turned to two senators, one standing upon the front, a hand grasping onto the guard rail that surrounded the seats; the other, a man who appeared to be in his late fifties, with a dark head of hair and beard that seemed to be greying at the edges. Both stood, wearing defiant expressions upon their faces, starring angrily at the Emperor, who returned their gaze with a cold look; he registered no surprise at seeing these two men showing their disagreement.

The rest of the Senate seemed to be in agreement with what was said. Some were completely unsurprised at seeing the two senators defiantly standing and staring down the Emperor; some were struck dumb; most were shouting and screaming in unison the names of the Senators who were standing from their seats; Bassus and Secundus.

"It was I Bassus, who spoke," said Bassus, his voice carrying through the noise; all fell silent. "You are Emperor and you have absolute power. Instead of asking us for our opinions, why don't you do what you feel is right. Our opinions ultimately don't mean anything. Do you agree?" he chided.

"I disagree," said the Emperor darkly; Bassus nodded. "Your opinion matters. I want to work with you not against you." He turned back to the Senate, and all eyes turned back to him. "I feel like what goes on in the bedroom should be private. I also believe what goes on when someone prays should also be private. With this being said, why not allow Christians to pray to their god if it is in private? What right do we have to come between someone and their god?"

Another murmur ran through the Senate assembled; the presence of another well-known senator stood from his seat. He was roughly six foot tall, and he started to speak in a surprising low voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, this new Emperor is implying that we should allow the Christians to take over our city and eventually our Empire. We've had our gods since the founding of Rome. How can we approve of this?"

"We won't, but the Emperor makes a point," interjected Secundus. "Avitus, aside from being a part of a council that funds executions of Christians at the Coliseum… what makes you an expert on this discussion?"

"I may fund their executions but it is the Roman people who fill the Coliseum to watch the Christians burn and be eaten with delight. I represent the people. I feel that the Emperor should represent them as well instead of right away considering rogue decisions. Secundus, the Senate is the Roman people. Upon having heard this Emperor, I can immediately tell he is not Roman and does not represent the people. There is no need to discuss this matter further," explained Avitus as he surveyed Secundus.

"He is right," Bassus said in an undertone, so only Secundus could hear. Secundus shook his head at Bassus' statement.

"Remember our place in the empire," Secundus told Bassus, then looked at the Senate as a whole and addressed them. "We are not a republic anymore. The Emperor makes the final decisions."

Bassus frowned. "Emperor, sure. For how long? We've had three Emperors within the past few months. We are the only stability in Rome and for that reason alone; our opinion should matter more than the Emperor's!"

"Bassus, do you know any Christians?" Xander asked, and Bassus and Secundus returned to staring at the Emperor.

"No, I don't. Thank Jupiter," Bassus admitted. The Emperor let out an audible snort.

"You don't know any Christians?" Xander said, incredulously. "Yet, you're willing to enforce laws executing them. Don't you think you should know your enemy before killing them?"

"Yes, but as I said, we've had our gods since the founding of the Empire," replied Avitus, smiling at the Emperor. "The Christians threaten our tradition, our culture, our morals… everything. If they take over and become the dominant force here, we will ultimately lose what we honor to be Rome.

The Emperor blinked; he hadn't expected Avitus to counter so convincingly. He also hadn't expected the two senators, Bassus and Secundus, to confront him on the Christian issue. It had put Xander in a tense state and he was trying to maintain his composure so he would not say anything that could possibly lower himself among the Senate and possibly cost him his life. He was certain at this juncture that he could not win over the Senate on accepting Christians. Now, he had to find a way to somehow win some favor for Christians.

"Caesar, last week we actually were discussing the execution of four Christians and they have been found guilty and sentenced to death at the Coliseum tomorrow. Since you seem to like these Christians, what do you say on the sentence?" Avitus continued.

Xander found the sentence unnerving; if he allowed the execution, he would essentially show himself to be against Christians. But on the plus side, he would curry favor among the Senate and get their skepticism about his intentions squashed immediately.

"Not one person in the Senate voted against their condemnation. Their fates have been determined and not even the Emperor should overturn a ruling of the Senate, especially when it comes to justice." Avitus turned to the Emperor who was snapped out of his thoughts. "Caesar, what is your opinion on this judgement?"

"God damn it," Xander muttered under his breath. He knew was in a no win position. If he agreed with the Senate, he would have to live with killing four people under his watch. But he also would get them in his favor that they would remember for future decisions he would make as Emperor.

Xander frowned. "I decree that they are to be executed as the Senate voted."

Baccus and Secundus were both taken aback at the Emperor's comments.

"Wait… you're agreeing with our decision?" Secundus sounded loudly. "Why not save the Christians? What was the point of your whole talk?" His comment drew a laugh from the some of the Senate but the Emperor simply frowned.

"If the vote was done last week… I was not Emperor therefore I have no power to overturn the ruling… at least in my opinion."

There was silence.

Then a bit more silence.

Then Secundus stood up.

"Caesar has spoken," Secundus responded, with a roguish grin. The Senate clapped in applause.

"Very well," Avitus said tiredly. "Caesar, if you will..."

Xander sighed. He had played a dangerous game with the Senate by showing sympathies to the Christians and had lost in regard to getting acceptance for Christians but won in that he had earned their respect. Although every cloud had a silver lining; he knew in this case, even with the respect of the Senate, he would have to make sure that no one knew he was a Christian, especially Falco. It just wasn't the time period to accept Christians, Xander knew.

"I hereby end this session in the Senate," Xander said. "Thank you for your time today Senate, and good day to you all." With that, Xander began to descend the steps from the Emperor's seat and all of the Senators began to file out.

As they left, Secundus turned to Bassus, who was standing beside him. "You know that this Emperor will give Christians more rights. You know that, right?"

Baccus looked at him with a twinkle in his eye. "Know? Yes, I know that he probably will… If he survives long enough he can."

The two walked out into the sunlight, laughing, as they headed towards home.

Falco dumped some papers in his bedroom and found his daughter stretched out on a blanket in the shade of an old apple tree in the backyard of his villa. Two male servants were watering plants nearby.

"Men," he said, "would you mind getting me something cold to drink?"

"Anything else you want, sir?" one of the servants asked.

"No thanks," Falco replied.

The servants scurried away.

Annia eyed her father walking towards her. "How was the Senate meeting?" She squinted up at her father and saw that his expression was grim. "What did Xander say?"

"I think our Emperor is a Christian."

Annia sat up, wincing. In the midday light, she could see that his face was unpleasant and angry. She narrowed her eyes at him, giving him the sense that she could see into his soul.

"So what if he's Christian?"

Falco realized he was pacing, and he immediately quit. He stared out at his garden. It was lush and healthy, and it had his stamp on it.

Suddenly he knew his daughter was watching him. She wanted to know how he was feeling.

Falco turned to her. "I cannot stand having a Christian Emperor."

Annia could see she knew what he meant. He didn't react in any obvious way, just seemed to slide deeper inside himself. His past must have showed him that he needed to bury his feelings. Her past also taught her those similar skills but she wasn't as good as her father.

Annia nodded in agreement. "Me too."

"I always hated Christians. Your mother hated them too." Falco's gray eyes stayed on her. "When you talk to him, find out more about his religion."

"Why? He's a Christian, he told me." Annia spoke without hesitation, not realizing for that second that she had made a mistake. She stood up on her feet, now realizing her mistake and followed immediately what her instincts told her to do. "Forget I said that."

Her father was maddening. "He told you. Why didn't you tell me?! We can get this asshole killed now!"

She gave him a desperate look of panic. "Dad! Don't do this please!"

Falco crossed his arms on his chest, considered a moment. "We cannot have a Christian run this Empire. People follow their leaders' example. If he is Christian, before we know it, the whole Empire will be Christian!"

Annia clasped her hands together behind her neck and settled back on the blanket. She knew arguing with her father would be pointless. Her father had always hated Christians and had taught her to hate them too. There was no use pleading with him. The only thing she could do was buy Xander time. "Dad, please wait until tomorrow to tell anyone."

Falco gave Annia the smallest of smiles. "I need to sleep anyway. I will tell the senators tomorrow. We can vote him to death like the Senate did to Nero. He's a dead man."

"A dead man-" Annia frowned, trying to make sense of the mistake she had just made. She was going to get Xander killed. She couldn't let that happen. "Dad, please don't kill him!"

Falco shook his head, and began to walk away. "From this point forward, you are to keep me informed of what Xander tells you. I originally wanted you to have a relationship with him but things have changed. The Roman Empire comes first before me and my family. This man cannot be Emperor. Now don't you mention any of my plans to him or I will be killed, you understand?"

Annia nodded while looking up at him. She watched as her father walked away back to their home.

Unable to lay down for another second, Annia jumped to her feet. She ran across the garden on her bare feet. She could hear birds chirping as she fought back tears. Xander was going to get killed because of her stupid mistake of telling her father. Why did she tell him?!

Marcus leaned in the doorway of Xander's private office. "That was a successful introduction to the Senate, Xander. Maybe you better go get some sleep."

Xander nodded. "I am exhausted."

"I was not allowed into the Curia Julia, but I heard you approved the Senate's execution of the four Christians." Marcus unfolded himself from the doorway and joined Xander at his desk. "It seems to me that this is bothering you."

"A lot of things are bothering me right now."

"Well… get used to it…" Marcus picked up a stack of papers on Xander's desk and dropped them back on it. "I wish I was used to being an Emperor's assistant. Licinius was the Emperor's assistant before-"

"What happened to Licinius?"

"He's with Julia and her children," Marcus said. "He was close with her family… especially her husband. So I guess he's assisting them now."

Xander tried to smile. He was happy that Julia was taken care of by a loyal assistant that she trusted. "Marcus… can you leave the office and give me some time alone?"

Marcus sighed. "Yes, Caesar. Anything you need?"

Xander shook his head. "Just some time alone."

"What are you doing, Dawn?" Buffy was standing in the open doorway of a bathroom staring at Dawn who was trying to tie a sash of her robe, missing the look of guilt on Dawn's face.

"Putting on a robe," Dawn replied, breathing in deeply to chase away any traces of nervousness that could give away that she had an affair with Buffy's boyfriend. "Not much clothing selection here."

"I thought I'd change into a green flowered dress like I wore at Xander's wedding. What do you think?"

"It would be perfect." Dawn's smile was unnatural and forced, but Buffy didn't notice it.

"I'll go and get dressed. Come into my room when you're done," Buffy announced, and turned toward her own room.

Dawn walked to the walnut vanity mirror above a table. A few expert flicks of the brush achieved the windswept style of her hair, tousled and sexy. Her complexion needed no makeup and a very light application of eye shadow gave a hint of blue to intensify the color of her eyes.

"Will Xander find me beautiful?" Dawn teased at herself wickedly. "Yes," Dawn smiled.

Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed and was helping Buffy with tying the back of her dress.

"Can you tell me about your meeting with Xander?" Buffy asked, standing quietly while Dawn hooked a belt around her back.

"It went well. I just needed to talk to him. It felt like I wouldn't get a chance anytime soon. He's in high demand."

Buffy hesitated as Dawn walked to the door. "Do I look good?"

"Better than good. He'll like it," Dawn grinned in a calm response to ease her sister's sudden attack of nerves. Dawn was feeling the same attack of nerves, which was why she was trying to leave the room before Buffy probed her meeting with Xander further. "Let's go find him!"

They were three steps into the hallway leading to the stairs that went up to the second floor of the Domus Augustana when Dawn heard the approach of footsteps behind them, and stiffened automatically. It had to be Xander. Dawn hadn't heard him pass Buffy's room, but with his cat-soft way of walking, it was possible she wouldn't. Besides, it was only logical to assume after a long Senate meeting that he would come back to them.

The desire was there for Dawn to act like she didn't hear the firm strides of Xander walking behind them. She might have ignored them if she hadn't seen Buffy glancing over her shoulder. There was no choice except for Dawn to do the same.

No puppy dog eyes met the sparkling challenge of hers. Instead she saw the darker softness of Xander's gazing warmly at Buffy. Relief shuddered through Dawn since she did not have a welcome reaction on her. She wanted to be more poised and in command of herself when she met Xander face-to-face.

Xander's hands were reaching out for Buffy's. "You look beautiful, honey."

"Do you think so?" Buffy gazed rapturously into his eyes. The radiant glow of love chased away all her plainness, making her as beautiful as Xander declared she was.

Feeling superfluous, Dawn said, "I'll see you two upstairs." In Buffy's presence with Xander she was merely Buffy's sister and that was it. She rationalized to herself that Buffy and Xander were entitled to be alone once in a while, and Dawn would have to make sure it happened, though no too often.

At the top of the stairs, Dawn hesitated. Glancing to the bottom of the stairs, she caught Xander gazing up at her, with the same look he had given Buffy. For that split second, she was transfixed on his gaze but before she knew it, Xander had glanced back at Buffy and smiled. Dawn knew that at this point, she would have to certainly keep what she was doing with Xander a secret and not suggest to Buffy that they could share Xander. She felt it would be better to have less drama around the Palace.

Dawn wandered into a room on the second floor. Her gaze was drawn immediately to the painting hanging above a mantel of the marble-faced fireplace.

It was a portrait of a man, a very handsome man with brown hair and sparkling green eyes. Yet despite all the vitality flowing in his face, there was an air of fragility and innocence.

"Guards told me it was Commodus and that I should take it down," a male voice said.

Dawn whirled away from the portrait to face the corner of the room from which Xander's voice had come. Brown eyes mocked the wary look in her expression as he walked towards her. He was noticeably alone and not with Buffy.

He had changed since the time they had sex and was now wearing a long-sleeved silk shirt that was tapered to his muscular waist. The shirt exposed dark, curling hairs on his chest due to its V-neck shape.

His intent gaze was stripping her. Dawn felt the heat of arousal warming her face. But she did not look away even when his eyes glanced at her lips, as if reminding her of the time they had earlier that day.

"You have a new crush?" Xander's mouth quirked with cynical amusement. Unwillingly Dawn protectively touched the rose-colored material of her robe. "Unfortunately he was killed. Three more Emperors were killed after him and now here's me. What do you think my fate will be?"

"Shut up!" Dawn snapped, and regretted her sharpness as a dark brow raised suggestively in her direction. She added more quietly, "I missed you."

"I apologize for not seeing you sooner after our meeting." His low voice was apologetic and sincere. "I had a Senate meeting."

"I saw the way you looked at Buffy," Dawn declared coldly. "I don't know how you can do that right in front of me."

Satisfaction glittered in Xander's eyes. He had deliberately given attention to Buffy so that he could make Dawn jealous.

Dawn turned away, angry with herself for not being better prepared for this encounter.

Another man was standing in the doorway. His strongly structured face glanced from Xander to Dawn. This was obviously one of Xander's friends.

"I interrupted Xander with Buffy and now you… because Xander and I have some important things to talk about," Trebonius explained, walking into the room. "He said that you can join him and Buffy for drinks later in the evening."

"Dawn, this is my good friend, Trebonius. I'm sure you have met him," Xander said. "He helped me kill the leaders of the Praetorian Guard."

"I'm pleased to meet you." Dawn's smile came naturally, prompted by the friendliness in Trebonius' expression.

A smile crinkled at the corners of the intelligent eyes of Trebonius. "I hope you enjoy your time in the Palace, Dawn." He had spoken sincerely. "But Xander and I would like to occupy this room now. Would you mind if you left us alone?"

Dawn darted a swift glance at Xander's impassive face. "You want me to leave?"

Xander lowered his head in shame.

"He doesn't want you to leave but the matters that are to be discussed are matters of state," Trebonius interjected, managing to keep his warm smile. "Please, miss, I beg you…"

His voice trailed away, leaving Dawn with the impression that Xander was about to do something very secretive and possibly scandalous. Before she could consider the possibilities further, she saw Buffy enter the room, giving her a look that she should leave.

"Dawn, let's go. Let Xander talk with my friend Trebonius," Buffy murmured, and withdrew.

Xander lifted his head and his gaze narrowed on Dawn. "Listen to your sister."

"Okay," Dawn acknowledged. Silently and partly grudgingly, she walked towards the exit of the room. Xander's eyes were watching her and as his gaze slid to the doorway, Dawn followed it, seeing Xander glance back at her with an agonizing look in his eyes. To comfort the look of pain she saw in Xander, she spoke, "Whatever you're doing Xander, I trust you. Come and see me tonight, okay?"

Xander smiled weakly as Dawn left the room.

The room was silent and empty. A fire crackling in the fireplace would have made the room warm, but there was no warmth.

"You could have waited, Trebonius. I was with two women," Xander snapped.

"You don't have time to waste, Xander," Trebonius replied evenly.

"I am not wasting time," Xander said tightly.

"Spending time with two women is not wasting time?" Trebonius inquired dryly. "What you told me earlier is of grave importance. Don't you realize that your life is in danger, Xander?!"

There was a heavy silence before Xander spoke in a cuttingly indifferent voice. "Where's the poisoner?"

"I told him to hide in this room."

"Good," Xander replied.

A doorknob turned in one of the closets in the room. The poisoner was in the room as the door closed behind him.

Xander glanced sharply over his shoulder as the poisoner turned away from the closet he had hid in. Aloof gray eyes caught his look and held it, but not for long.

"What are you looking at?" Xander snapped harshly at his arrogant expression, then breathed in deeply to regain the control he needed so desperately.

"Caesar," the poisoner said quietly. "I've come to tell you that I concocted a poison for you to use. I'll have more made within the hour just in case."

"What a great way to make money." Xander sighed angrily. His cryptic statement was followed by a long silence as though he was waiting for the poisoner to make a comment. Bitterness and contempt laced his words. "I remember when I was poisoned. I barely survived. It took every effort of mine to puke that shit out. Just because I'm doing business with you or 'might' be doing business with you doesn't mean I like you what you do. It is a sick business."

After a long silence, the poisoner hung his head, looking at the floor. "Yes. I know, Caesar..." the poisoner said.

"Know what? That you have a sick business?" Xander asked spitefully.

"I know that you were poisoned," the poisoner said, looking up and gazing at Xander's broad shoulders sadly. "I gave instructions on how to make a poison for Antistius so he could poison you. I'm sorry."

Slowly Xander turned to the poisoner, his head tipped to one side in disbelief. "What?" he breathed incredulously.

A brow arched higher on the poisoner. "I didn't make the poison. If I had made it like I requested to the fool, you would have died. But he insisted on making it himself so I gave him instructions."

"So you're the one who Antistius went to for poison? You must be good. But damn it, you nearly got me killed!" Xander's hands moved to a challenging position on his hips. "What's your name?"

"Nepos." The poisoner gave him a wry look. "I'm sure you understand that I was paid good money for what I gave him. I have to apologize again and also thank you for killing the leaders of the Praetorian Guard. They would have killed me eventually by blaming me for not killing you."

"Now that we have made it clear that you indirectly poisoned me… I'm guessing I should get a discount for your services. Should I?" Xander demanded coldly.

Nepos' dark head was tipped arrogantly back, the gray eyes clear and piercing like an eagle's. "Suit yourself," he replied. "I was briefed by Trebonius. He said you want me to poison a senator?"

"How can you get access to the senator?" A cold clarity filled Xander's heart, and momentarily at least, eased the pain. "These men probably live in good homes… protected by guards."

"I have my ways. It can be done tonight if need be." There was faint contempt in Nepos' tone. "I'm well known within the wealthy circles. But well known individually. I have a confidentiality agreement with each of my clients so in essence, no one knows me except my clients."

"I understand," Xander said tautly. "And you expect that you will be able to do this when I call you?"

Nepos moved slowly to stand in front of Xander and it was all Xander could do not to beat the man since he knew he had poisoned him. Nepos towered over him for a long moment. He was well over six feet tall.

"For the Emperor, I will do anything whenever and whatever," Nepos reminded him softly, bowing head before Xander in a gesture of respect.

"Okay," Xander admitted calmly. "I want you to hide in the closet again when I talk with a woman. She is the daughter of the Senator you are to poison. Based on what she says, I will determine whether it is worth doing or not."

There was a satisfied look on Nepos' face. "Do you want me to make more poison?"

"No." Xander's agitation seemed to die down. But he was feeling guilt nonetheless. "I would like you to wait in the closet and after my talk with the woman, then I will call you out."

The room crackled with a stunned silence. Nepos' gaze narrowed fractionally, followed by a short, sardonically amused sigh.

"Don't be too long with this woman." Nepos smiled indifferently. "I know you have a reputation with women. I don't want to sleep in the closet."

His aloof comment stung Xander. If Nepos had continued joking, Xander would have beat him to a bloody pulp. Out of nowhere, Xander felt the moistness of tears on his lashes.

"There is one more thing," Xander squeezed the words out through a lump in his throat, "if you do this, do it right and as painless as possible."

Xander walked away out of the room as he gazed at Trebonius, indicating to him that he was done talking for the moment.

After Xander and Trebonius had left the room, Nepos frowned. "The Emperor crying?" Nepos' jeered under his breath. "Well I guess this one is human."

Annia slipped out one of the patio doors of the Domus Augustana into the warmth of the moonlit night. She had just made a long journey from her father's villa and the idea of getting to find Xander was overwhelming her. She was determined to get to him.

Streamers of stars adorned the heavens while the moonshine cast silvery shadows on the pools and pillars along the path that she walked. Crickets and cicadas sang out their shrill songs, downed out now and again by the distant scream of an owl, or the barking of a hound. A breeze tickled the tops of the trees, but it didn't get through the walls to cool her face.

It was a relaxed night, warm and humid and still. A lopsided moon gave the pool in the center of one end of the Palace a mirror surface for it to show itself.

Annia heard footsteps across the marble caused by a single person that made her aware that she wasn't alone.

"Who's there?" she called out sharply.

There was a movement as a tall figure walked out of a dark corner and walked to a railing directly in front of her.

"Annia… Xander is expecting you on the second floor. I'll show you to the room." Even before the softly spoken words were carried across the water to her, Annia had heard the voice before. As an upper class Roman, Trebonius had crossed paths with her father and herself before.

"Show me." The chattering of her teeth made the demand sound more like a plea.

The moonlight played over his wide forehead and prominent cheekbones, throwing the hollows of his cheeks in sharp relief as his mouth opened in an amused smile.

Trebonius looked her up and down and saw that she was wearing a pink bra and thong covered by a sash. "You look pretty," Trebonius said with a sigh, "Xander gets all the women."

"Show me!" Annia snapped, trembling with cold and anger.

Trebonius glanced at her body, took a few steps forward and used his right hand to gesture her over to him. Happiness was etched in every carved line of his face.

"I can tell you dressed appropriately tonight," Trebonius couldn't resist pointing out.

"I didn't have time to dress," Annia retorted, hating him for catching her in such a humiliating predicament.

With a shrug, he waited for her to come within a few feet from him and began to show her to the room where Commodus' painting was.

Once standing outside the room and Trebonius had walked away, Annia stood hesitantly at the door, overcome by a feeling that when she opened the door, something would happen- something beyond her control. But there was no alternative. She couldn't wait outside the door all night.

When she opened the door, she saw Xander standing at the far end of the room where a small couch was. One foot was raised onto the couch, his knee acting as a support for him to lean on. As the door clicked shut behind Annia, he turned and straightened, and they stared at each other for a long moment before she broke free of his gaze and moved towards the painting of Commodus.

"Annia… I'm glad you made it." His voice halted her.

"Please, Xander, I don't want you to lecture me tonight." She turned quickly as he came to a stop before her, her brown eyes pleading with him not to say anything that would hurt her. Her heart did a somersault at the gentle fire in the depths of his brown eyes.

"I just want you to know that I appreciate you coming here." There was no mistaking the sincerity behind his words. "I realize you didn't have to do this."

"And I haven't thanked you yet," Xander continued, "for not telling anyone that I'm a Christian. So many women in your place would have done that by now."

"I couldn't do it to you," Annia lied. She didn't want his kindness to end. "People should respect all religions."

But Annia knew she had to tell him the truth. Her father would make sure to convince the Senate to convict Xander to death. It was quite likely that this might be his last night alive. She also knew it might be her father's last night alive if she told Xander. These thoughts made her shudder with fear.

"You must be cold wearing that," Xander declared with a velvet huskiness.

Before she could protest, he removed his long-sleeved silk shirt and placed it around her shoulders. Her senses were assaulted by his musky scent of masculinity, and the warmth of his body heat clinging to the shirt. As he moved closer, drawing the shirt together under her chin, the heat emanated from his naked chest as if she was standing in front of a blazing fire. Staring at his muscular chest, she felt the last of her resistance crumbling. When he removed the clasp from her hair, sending it cascading about her shoulders, she knew she wanted nothing more than to be taken in his arms.

He ran his fingers through her hair, smoothing it down around her neck where his hands halted almost encircling her slender throat. Then his thumbs began moving in a slow circular motion that was sensuous. The slightest pressure was exerted on her chin, lifting her face towards his. Through half-closed lashes, Annia glanced up at him, her pulse leaping as she saw his gaze dwelling on her mouth.

"Every time I've seen you since my speech you've been scared," he murmured, bringing her closer to him. His breath was like a warm caress, "I have to do this. Forgive me, Annia."

There was only submission as he tilted her head back and covered her mouth with his. Submission, until his deepening kiss touched off the passionate core of her soft body spreading a fire through every fiber of her being and Annia responded, body and soul. She swayed against the solid wail of his chest, her hands creeping up his bare chest up to his neck to push him deeper into the kiss.

Yet his hunger was insatiable as his hands moved down her back, waist and hips, shaping her feminine form to the contours of his body. Annia strained closer, her heart pounding like thunder in her chest while her mind whirled at the exquisite pain of his crushing embrace. Xander parted his lips and with his tongue began a sensual exploration of her mouth, drawing a moan of sheer ecstasy from deep in her soul.

The silk shirt fell into a heap below her feet, no longer need to provide Annia warmth. They were surrounded by a heat wave of their own making, as they kissed and kissed again. His mouth left a scorching trail over her eyes and ears and neck, then returned to consume her mouth again. Annia recognized the throbbing weakness in the lower part of her body as the timeless desire for a woman to know a man. The intimate longing frightened her and her hands made a fluttering protest against his chest.

His arms tightened fiercely about her, conquering her weak opposition with arrogant sureness. There was a tiny sob of surrender as her lips melted under his and her hands began a tremulous and exploring caress of his rugged features. Then his mouth was dragged slowly away from hers and a hand pressed her brown head against his chest, holding her possessively against him. The rush of his heart was in tune with the frenzied pace of her own. A sublime peace encircled them for endless seconds, neither wishing to break their hug.

Then his harsh, uneven breathing became more natural and controlled beneath Annia's head. His chest rose and fell in one long, shuddering sigh as his hands clasped her arms and reluctantly moved her away from him. Their firm grip prevented her from swaying back to him while she stared at her hands still resting on his waist.

"Look at me, Annia," Xander ordered.

Unwillingly she lifted her chin a fraction of an inch, knowing her desire for him was still glazing her eyes. But she obeyed, looking into the smoldering brown flames that burned with the certainty of the power he had over her. His gaze made an intimate exploration of her face, satisfying himself of the response he had aroused.

"Is this the way you feel with all the old men you've been with?" Xander said tenderly. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You need not be scared when you're with me, Annia."

This moment, more than ever before for Annia, she wanted to be at peace with Xander and not cause him pain. Tears sprang to her eyes as the terrible pain of hopelessness struck her. With a sobbing sigh, she shook her head.

"I told my father by mistake that you're a Christian." Her voice quivered with defeat.

She could feel the freezing rigidity flow through him. It was like a knife wound to her heart.

"You told him?" Xander echoed angrily. His fingers dug into her arms, giving her a shake. "What do you mean you told him?!"

"He's going to tell the senators tomorrow to vote on executing you. They will surely do it." The constriction in her throat made her voice sound very small and weak. "There's too much you don't know about me." She hesitated, afraid of what Xander might say in response to her statement, then rushed on to cover it. "And I don't know about you."

"I know enough." Xander's haughty arrogance had returned, to her dismay.

"Please, please," Annia begged, "don't kill my father. He's a good man."

"No," Xander said grimly. "It's too late to turn back now." The unrelenting sternness of his eyes seemed to pierce through her skin. "I should have been more careful."

"No!" Annia took a frightened step backwards, terrified that he might decide that she wasn't worth the risk either.

"Let me get this straight… you told your father by mistake. Do you know how much worse this action has fucked things up for me?!" He shook his head in a sort of angry bewilderment and made no attempt to move nearer. "You said yourself your father killed Christian children… No good man does that, Annia… No matter what the reason. You can't expect me to let him convince the Senate to kill me. If I die, all my friends will probably die as well."

"You could talk to him," Annia said with a hopeless shrug.

"Talk to him? No. I know bigoted assholes like him. Whatever I say, he's not going to listen," Xander added with a wry shake of his head. "You effectively ended your father's life by telling me that you told him I'm a Christian."

In spite of herself, Annia smiled. "But I saved yours," she said softly.

A slight twinkle accented his quiet contemplation of her. "I know. I thank you for telling me. But you are okay with me killing your father?"

"Oh, Xander, of course I'm not. I don't want either of you to die." The admission was wrenched from her heart. She wanted to agree, if for no other reason than making Xander less guilty about what he was about to do. But what would she gain with her father gone? She turned away, letting her hands close over a table.

"Right now you are in a difficult position. I don't know what you're going to do. But whatever you're going to do will have deadly consequences." His solemn voice was directly behind her. She made no protest when his hands turned her back around to face him. "I can't tell you how sorry I am that you will have to let your father die. But if he tells another man about this, I will be dead." His finger gently raised her chin, compelling her to look at the resolution on his face. "I will give you a place to stay in the Palace. You can live here for as long as I am Emperor."

A frown of impatience swept fleetingly across his forehead at her continued silence. "If you're afraid that I'll take advantage of you, then I promise you right now that I won't touch you after this."

"It's not that," she assured him hastily, finding the notion of being near him and not having him touch her intolerable. Annia swallowed deeply, trying to appear composed and not at all shaken by the sensuous line of his mouth. "I don't mind being kissed, although I… I…"

"We won't go further than we did tonight." Xander rescued her from her stammering attempt to qualify her words. "Unless you ask me to make love to you. I'm in a mess with a few women as it is."

The amused and knowing glitter in his eyes stole away her poise, leaving her standing defenseless before him.

He smiled down at her. "Are you agreeing that you will stay at my Palace and our agreement when it comes to intimacy?"

"Yes," Annia sighed, a strange peace settling over her as she made her commitment. This commitment essentially meant that she was agreeing to the execution of her father.

"How about another kiss to seal our bargain?"

Xander gave her time to reply as his head slowly lowered towards hers, but every inch of her wanted to feel that passion his lips could evoke. The kiss was short, but without haste, lasting long enough to set her pulse racing before he gently released her mouth. His hands were on her shoulders and she trembled with longing. Xander misinterpreted the movement, deliberately, Annia thought, as he bent down to retrieve his silk shirt, placing it back around her shoulders.

"You want me to show you to your room?" Xander asked.

Annia nodded, knowing that staying there alone with him would be flirting with temptation. A thrill of gladness swept through her when she turned to retrace her steps and discovered his arm was possessively encircling her shoulders, keeping her beside him as they walked outside the room. Nor did it fall away as they went down the stairs. She stole one quick glance at his face, noting his pleased, nearly triumphant smile, and wondered if she had done something wrong.

"As I said, don't be scared when you're with me," Xander said quietly. There was a teasing twinkle in his eyes. "I won't ever hurt you… at least physically…"

Annia laughed shortly, sending him a flirtatious glance. "You seemed pretty rough back there."

"That's what all the women say," Xander grinned, "but with Buffy, she's usually the one who hurts me physically."

"The trouble is I'm not Buffy," she reminded him.

"I don't want another Buffy," Xander replied as they reached her room.

Annia was about to reply when she saw Trebonius as he moved to let his presence be known. "Hello, Caesar," Trebonius greeted him calmly, as though it were a prepared statement.

"Trebonius, show her the room," Xander ordered his friend.

Trebonius smiled back at Xander, looking at his bare chest. "Sure will."

"Make her comfortable," Xander said, glancing down at Annia as she shifted uncomfortably away from him. He obligingly let his arm fall to his side, an understanding and sad look in his eyes.

Annia slipped the silk shirt from her shoulders and handed it to Xander. "He would make me comfortable by leaving me alone. I want to sleep." She glanced at Xander and felt something very warm and intimate in the look that he gave her as he wished her good night. It went a long way in restoring her shaken composure at him about to give an order to kill her father. But despite loving her father, she knew that standing by him in this situation would be the wrong thing to do. Xander was a better man and would take care of her… not just with money.


	43. Forgiven

Buffy had drawn Xander away from where he was walking just after he bid Annia good night. Buffy took Xander's hand and Xander followed her back to the upstairs room where Commodus' painting was. Once there, Xander went first to the closet where Nepos was hiding.

"You heard the conversation, Nepos?" Xander asked, opening the door slightly to get a look at Nepos.

"Yes, Caesar," Nepos said, grinning.

"I thought I'd check on you before letting you go. Be very discreet, okay?"

"This is not my first time," the poisoner said.

Xander nodded sternly. "I know. Now leave the room and get the job done."

"Yes, Caesar, I will," Nepos promised.

"And make sure I don't get implicated in this."

"You won't, Caesar," he said.

Then Xander went up to Buffy near a couch, where she was waiting for him, grinning. Her grin quickly turned to a frown as she saw a tall man walk from the closet across the room towards the exit. She glanced at Xander. "Who's that guy?"

"It's a personal matter," Xander said, letting Buffy enfold him in an embrace as he sat on a couch beside her. "Something to do with Annia."

"Yeah. I had a feeling. I saw her get a room here. What's that man going to do?" Buffy asked, kissing him.

Xander pulled away. "A personal matter, Buff."

Buffy sighed. "What's personal about it? You shouldn't keep things from me, Xander. I was hoping we'd do things differently now." She kissed him again and then pulled him away from the couch towards a bed at the end of the room.

"You wouldn't hate me if I was responsible for someone dying?"

"If it's Annia, go and do it. I hate to be a bitch but she could have gotten you killed during your speech and possibly all of us."

"And if it's her father?"

Buffy shrugged. "From what I've heard about her, she and her father are trouble. I say you should do whatever is necessary to protect us."

"He's consul," Xander muttered. "He's a powerful person. Almost as powerful as me."

Buffy made a vaguely sympathetic sound. "Why are you poisoning him?"

A long silence followed.

"You know, Xand," Buffy said gently, "I know you're a good person. An amazing person. I mean, I'm totally in awe of you. But…"

Buffy let the "but" hang in the air and Xander took it. "But I have done some questionable things, yes."

Suddenly, Xander began to sob. Hot tears stung his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. Buffy came close to Xander on the bed and pulled him into a seating position on it and pressed his wet face into her bosom.

Buffy stroked his hair, murmuring soothingly. "You're such a baby, Xander," she said. "I was going to remind you how you cheated on me. I hope that's what you're crying about."

"It is," Xander snuffled, snuggling deeper into her stomach. "But other stuff too. I've killed a lot of people."

"So have I. You don't see me crying about it."

Buffy took Xander's face in her hands. "You do what you can to survive," she said solemnly.

Xander nodded.

"I only want you to be happy," Xander said, stroking her fingers from her hands. "And, you know, be safe."

"I know," Buffy said. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his neck, climbing into his lap, and holding him tightly.

"Buff," Xander whispered into her hair. "I miss you so much… all the time. Every day."

Tears began to form in Buffy's eyes. "You… have Annia."

"She's not mine and she's not you," he said, and pulled back, looking into her eyes. His lips touched hers and his hands stroked the side of her face.

Buffy pressed back into him, her mouth opening for his tongue as it touched hers.

Xander groaned slightly into her mouth.

"Hey guys. Looks like you guys couldn't wait to get your hands on each other," a slurred voice came from behind them.

Xander and Buffy heard the voice behind them, and Buffy immediately jumped off Xander, practically falling on the ground. Xander's hand caught her before she could, however.

Xander and Buffy stood up quickly to see Dawn leaning in the doorway with a half-smile on her face.

"Dawn, we-" Buffy started to talk, but Dawn held her finger up to quiet her sister.

"Xander, I missed you," Dawn said, coming over behind him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Before Xander knew what was happening, Dawn's tongue was gently brushing along the side of his ear, his jaw, and his neck.

Buffy was completely dumbfounded. This was not the reaction that she immediately expected, but given a second to consider it, she was not surprised, either. Buffy wasn't sure if it was because Dawn was drunk that she didn't care, or if she didn't care, regardless.

"Buffy, I'm not sure what to do here…" Xander started as Dawn continued to run her tongue over his face.

"I don't understand, Xander," Buffy said gently, her bewilderment clear in her voice. "Why is Dawn doing this? Even if she's obviously drunk, she wouldn't just do this?!"

"Me and Xander had sex," Dawn snapped, finally turning away from licking Xander's face so that her fiery blue eyes were burning into Buffy's. "You think you can have him all to yourself?"

Buffy blinked once, and then breathed in sharply before blinking again as she bit down on her bottom lip.

"Buffy," Xander finally said, releasing one of Dawn's hands so that he could reach for her face.

"No," Buffy said belligerently, jerking away from Xander's touch as he awkwardly tried to move toward her. "Do not touch me," she continued. "I don't want to hear it from you."

"I want you to," Xander said, managing to get a hold of her left hand. "I love you, Buffy," Xander declared, his eyes on Buffy's face so that when she looked up at him she could see steadiness and confidence in his gaze. "I love your sister, Dawn. But I love you too, and the way I feel about her is no greater, nor more special than the way I've come to feel about you."

Buffy looked up to meet Xander's eyes and held them for a moment, searching for something placating or insincere in them and finding nothing.

"I don't want to," Buffy insisted despite the truth she saw in Xander's gaze. "How can you betray me with my sister," Buffy complained, struggling to verbalize that while she had feelings for Xander and loved him very much, she knew that what he had done could not be forgiven with a slap on the wrist.

"If I could, I would have done things differently. I should have told you," Xander replied calmly, his eyes not straying and staring intently as he looked at Buffy.

Buffy exhaled loudly and her eyes shifted from side to side for a moment as she tried to process Xander's statement.

"What?" Xander finally choked out, sounding just as lost and confused as Buffy felt.

Xander smiled gently at Buffy and finally released Dawn's other hand so that he could take Buffy's face in his hands.

"I love you, Buffy, very much. I want to kiss you, and make love to you, and lay in your arms."

"No," Buffy said, though she didn't sound convinced in her own voice. "You want those things with my sister. Hell, with any woman you meet!"

"I want those things with you Buffy," Xander said, punctuating his statement by leaning forward to kiss Buffy gently on the lips.

The feel of Xander's lips on her own undid Buffy for a moment, and she found herself relaxing into Xander's hands and opening her mouth to the Emperor, allowing Xander to deepen the kiss until Buffy was moaning into his mouth.

"So, you love me, and you love Dawn, and you want us both," Buffy said breathing heavily when they pulled apart, trying to get what Xander was saying.

Xander nodded.

"And you love me, and you love Buffy, and you want us both," Dawn said stroking her sister's cheek, verbalizing what Buffy had just said.

Buffy opened her mouth to protest that, but a sexually hungry look came into Xander's eyes that made Buffy clamp down on the words before they could escape her lips.

Xander's look on Buffy annoyed the Slayer. It reminded her when she had sex with Willow. How he expected her to do what he wanted whenever he wanted. Dawn had stepped back, but the way Xander was eyeing her told her that he expected her to kiss her own sister.

"You know what? I know Dawn is drunk and you want me to kiss her. Well, what if I don't want to?!" Buffy said, her eyes flashing at him.

Just as Xander expected Buffy to storm out of the room, as if calling him on his bluff, Buffy turned towards Dawn and kissed her square on the mouth. At first, her sister seemed surprised, but she responded quickly, pushing her tongue roughly into Buffy's. Dawn was drunk and sloppy, and Buffy can taste the wine on her tongue, but the way Dawn's hands snaked around her bottom, her thighs, and up her back made Buffy continue kissing her with fervor.

Xander was watching them, his lips moving, but no words coming out.

Dawn took Buffy's hand, leading her out of the room, and down the hall into a guest bedroom, a room that used to belong to one of the servants of the Palace. Buffy was not sure why she was allowing Dawn to lead her along but when she heard Dawn call out to Xander, "Are you coming or what?!" that Buffy realized what was about to happen.

"I… don't-" Buffy started to say, but Dawn shut her up with another kiss. Even drunk, Dawn made Buffy's stomach flutter with the way she moved her tongue around Buffy's mouth. Buffy wondered if what she was feeling was natural when kissing one's own sibling. She wondered how many people had ever kissed their sibling like this.

Xander came up to the doorway of the bedroom, leaning up against the frame and watching them tentatively. Xander had a strange look on his face that neither of the Summer sisters had seen before. His cheeks were flushed.

Buffy and Dawn giggled out loud at Xander's appearance, which Dawn took as an invitation to nip at Buffy's neck, which in turn made Buffy giggle more. Buffy continued watching Xander, who was staring at her intensely. That strange feeling came back into Buffy's stomach.

Buffy nodded at Xander, just slightly, and it was all the invitation Xander needed to come forward.

Xander stepped up behind Buffy, and his arousal between his legs pressed against Buffy's lower back, which made Buffy groan lightly.

Dawn smirked and stepped back to take off her robe.

As Dawn was getting undressed, Xander wrapped his arms around Buffy, his hot breath brushing against her neck. He planted gentle kisses along her jawline and cheek, his teeth tugging gently at her earlobe. Buffy closed her eyes, breathing in his familiar scent. Even though he smelled his familiar scent, she could also smell a heavy scent of Dawn.

When Buffy opened her eyes, she saw that Dawn was completely naked. Dawn licked her lips and started to undo the green flowered dress that she had helped Buffy do earlier that night. Buffy breathed in sharply, unsure if she should let her sister do this. What am I doing? Am I really going through with this? Buffy thought. Am I crazy? Buffy felt a strange ache in her chest, and a sudden rush of cool air as Dawn pulled down her underwear. Buffy heard Dawn chuckle as Dawn's fingers sneaked up the inside of Buffy's thigh.

Buffy wanted to know why Dawn was laughing, but there was no time as Buffy breathed in sharply, Dawn's fingers splaying out and stroking gently her private areas.

Dawn chuckled again, low and throaty, her tongue stroking Buffy's stomach.

Buffy felt Xander pressed up against her again, his breath becoming shorter, quicker.

"Wow. Buffy. You are so turned on right now," Dawn mumbled into Buffy's stomach.

Buffy can feel Dawn smiling against her skin. She felt embarrassed and aroused at the same time. She didn't know how to respond to this, so she leaned her head back against Xander's shoulder. He opened his mouth over her exposed neck, moaning lightly against her.

"Oh, Buff," he whispered. His hand reached around and under her undershirt, his fingers splaying out over her breast.

Buffy groaned lightly as Xander squeezed lightly on one of her breasts, her chest feeling tight, and her head floating as if it had become detached from her body.

Buffy's breaths came out in short gasps as Xander groaned, too, pressing up against her more. Xander's dick seemed stiffer than before. Buffy could feel him through his toga. Buffy also felt her hips moving involuntarily against him, and Dawn pushed two fingers into her, which suddenly made Buffy gasp. Buffy could feel the stickiness of her own arousal against her inner thighs as Dawn moved her fingers in and out, so quickly.

"Buffy," Xander whispered. "I need- can I… I want to be in you…"

Buffy was still breathless from Dawn's fingers, and Buffy gestured to both of them to sit down on the bed. Her knees felt weak and she felt like she could pass out. Dawn jumped onto the bed, laying out beside Buffy, using her fingers to lazily play with herself.

"I… just give me a minute," Buffy said, laying out on her back and staring at the ceiling.

Buffy glanced over to see Xander staring at her, still fully dressed. He licked his lips, then bit them, and Buffy could tell it's taking everything he has to be calm in this moment. Buffy breathed out, letting her sight come back fully. She considered a long moment before she said, "Okay," she said.

"Yeah?" Xander asked.

"Yes," Buffy said, closing her eyes for a second, shivering as a chill came over her. She opened her eyes when she saw his eyes staring back at her, on top of her, naked. The intensity is overwhelming- as a small fear came onto Buffy, wondering if she made the right decision until Xander pushed into her. It was smooth at first, and she felt a sharp pain as he went deeper, and she cried out.

Xander halted, concerned, but when Buffy nodded her head to say it was all right, he continued, until he was all the way in. And he started moving.

The feeling for Buffy was not completely unlike Dawn's fingers except it was much more full and deep and amazing for her. And Buffy started groaning, loudly, so loud, that it didn't even sound like her.

"I think Buffy likes it, Xander," Dawn chuckled next to Buffy, and it brought Buffy out of her reverie. Dawn was rubbing herself more now, one hand on her breast, the other down below, a flush on her cheeks.

Buffy suddenly felt like she was tired of being the submissive one, but then Xander started grunting loudly and moving faster and faster, almost hurting her as his hips push against hers, and then he sighed loudly, shuddering.

Xander looked at Buffy then, almost shyly.

"You okay, Buffy?" Xander asked as he pulled out of her.

Buffy nodded. She sighed loudly and before Xander and Dawn could say anything else, Buffy was on her knees between Xander's spread legs. His toga was open, his cock rising and was now covered by Buffy's hand being wrapped around it. Buffy had the tip in her mouth, gently sucking it, twisting her wrist as her hand moved up and down its length. She parted her lips with a gasp and ran her thumb over the head.

"I am doing well, Xander," Buffy said. "I should be asking if you're okay." Buffy turned her head and ran her tongue along his length.

"Buffy," Dawn said, her voice breaking. Buffy and Xander both lifted their eyes to her. "I'm sorry if I dragged you into this…"

"Dawn," Buffy said. She was still running her hand up and down Xander's erection. "It's okay, Dawn. I know that you love Xander. I shouldn't keep him all to myself, should I?"

"I guess not," Dawn said, smiling slightly.

"I agree with you Buffy," Xander said.

"Dawn, come here," Buffy said. She kissed the side of Xander's cock.

"Seems like you are busy, Buffy," Dawn said.

"Dawn," Buffy whispered.

Dawn licked her lips and crawled over beside Buffy on the bed. Buffy went back to work on Xander's cock, her tongue curling around the underside as she moved her head along its length. Coming closer, Dawn could smell the scent of arousal; Buffy's sweat, and Xander's musky odor. She watched Buffy's lips and tongue wrap around the head of his cock again, watched it disappear into her mouth, and then looked up to see Xander staring at her.

"Xander," Dawn said.

"I don't know if I can handle both of you," Xander said nervously.

"Don't worry. We'll take care of you," Dawn assured him.

Buffy reached up and wrapped her hand around Dawn's toga. Dawn dropped to her knees on the outside of Xander's left leg. Buffy released Xander's cock and turned to face her. "Hi," she whispered.

Dawn leaned in and kissed Buffy. She parted Buffy's lips with her tongue and tasted something different in Buffy's mouth, a new taste. She realized that it was the taste of Xander's cock, and she moaned and sucked Buffy's tongue. She was leaning over Xander's leg, her tongue in Buffy's mouth, and she squeezed Xander's thigh as she broke the kiss and turned to look at his erection.

It was wet from Buffy's attention, thicker than she had expected. The head was flared and wide at the bottom. She realized she was staring, but she couldn't help herself. Buffy's fingers wrapped around it, and Dawn heard her whisper, "Go on..."

Dawn licked her lips as Buffy held the cock still. She sat up, pressing roughly against Xander's thigh, and flicked her tongue over the head. She wanted to go softly, but the tease worked against her. She suddenly needed more, needed to taste all of him. She took him into her mouth and felt Buffy's hand on the back of her neck. It massaged the tendons to keep her from getting a cramp. Dawn's lips met Buffy's fingers, and she pulled back. She swept her tongue over the head and turned to kiss Buffy again.

Xander's cock twitched against Dawn's cheek and she shivered. She put her hand around Buffy's and they stroked him together. Buffy broke the kiss and said, "Oh, Dawn, this is so wrong. But you know I love you and Xander so much. I hope this doesn't make things awkward between us…"

Dawn blushed and turned to kiss the tip of Xander's erection again.

Buffy slipped her hand free and stood up, trailing her hand over Dawn's jaw. "Look, look up at me." Dawn looked up, Xander's cock resting against her lips. Buffy undid her black bra and Dawn could see Buffy's nipples. Dawn closed her lips around Xander's tip and sucked, and he moaned.

"You girls are killing me!" Xander said.

Buffy looked at him with a grin. "We could quit if you don't like it, Xander. Right, Dawn?"

"Maybe..." Dawn released his cock and started to rise.

Xander frowned at Buffy and Dawn. "If you quit, I will exile you like Julia."

Buffy ran her fingers through Dawn's hair. "Mm, we'd better listen to the Emperor."

Xander sighed wearily and put his hand on Buffy's hip to pull her close. She chuckled as she straddled his right leg and bent to kiss him. Dawn lifted her head to watch them kiss, stroking Xander with her hand to keep him stiff. She brushed her thumb over the tip, and it jerked against her palm. She saw Buffy's tongue flicker into Xander's mouth and felt a surge of jealousy. For which one of them, she was jealous of Buffy kissing Xander. She pushed Xander's shirt up with her free hand, kissing his stomach.

Together, she and Buffy undid the toga and pushed it off his shoulders. Dawn let her hand stray, running over Buffy's thigh and up to her stomach. Buffy turned to face her, and Dawn stared at the triangle of black hair where Buffy's legs came together. She licked her lips and leaned across Xander's lap to kiss Buffy there. She pulled at the hair with her teeth and extended her tongue. Dawn's lips trembled as she kissed Buffy's thigh and then pushed herself up.

"I want you, Xander," Buffy whispered, running her hands over Xander's chest.

Dawn stepped back, watching as Xander and Buffy kissed each other. Buffy pushed Xander's toga down, and he helped her get them off and let them drop to the floor. Dawn stared at his cock, lying erect against his thigh, and Buffy watched her, still kissing Xander.

"Have you ever imagined having sex with both of us at the same time, Xander?" Buffy asked softly.

"Well you know that I think about sex all the time," Xander replied, referring to the one time Buffy could know what others were thinking about. "But you and Dawn… yeah I guess."

Buffy kissed the corner of his mouth. "After Willow, I guess I figured anything is possible with threesomes."

Dawn undid what was left of her clothing and let them fall. She wore plain white underwear, nothing spectacular, but Buffy sucked in a breath through her teeth and said, "Oh, Dawn."

Dawn stepped forward and straddled Xander's thigh. She took Buffy's hand and guided it to her crotch, closing her eyes as she touched Buffy's hand to her panties. Buffy curled her fingers and then pushed her hand inside. Dawn reached out and braced her hand against Xander's chest as Buffy touched her.

"Oh, Xander. She's so wet." Buffy withdrew her hand, and Dawn opened her eyes to watch Xander lick Buffy's fingers. Dawn swallowed deeply and leaned in to kiss Buffy. Buffy accepted the kiss, thrusting her fingers into Xander's mouth as she swirled her tongue around Dawn's.

Dawn broke the kiss and whispered, "I want to..."

"Tell me, Dawnie," Buffy whispered, brushing her free hand through Dawn's hair.

"I want to have sex with him." Dawn closed her eyes and brushed her lips over Buffy's cheek. "Please."

"I want to see that," Buffy said. "Give me a sec, sweetie." She pulled away, leaving Dawn and Xander with one another. Xander put his hand on Dawn's waist, and Dawn looked down at his naked body. She licked her lips as Buffy withdrew something from the drawer and returned with it a moment later. She kissed Xander's chest, turned to kiss Dawn's stomach, and unrolled the condom over Xander's cock. It twitched under her fingers, and Buffy said, "Sorry. You can blame Brittany for carrying one in her purse."

"It's okay," Dawn said, blushing. She had sex with Xander without one earlier and was finding it amusing that Buffy was now protecting her from pregnancy with a condom on Xander.

Buffy walked behind Dawn and pressed against her. She slid her hands down Dawn's flanks, making her shudder, and hooked her thumbs in Dawn's panties. She tugged them down, and Xander's eyes dropped to see her. Buffy kissed Dawn's shoulder and the back of her neck, urging her forward. Dawn lifted one leg and tried to catch her breath as she climbed onto Xander's lap, straddling his hips. Xander reached down and guided his cock forward. Buffy's hand slid down Dawn's belly, brushing through her light brunette pubic hair, and spread Dawn's folds with two fingers, rubbing the inside with one of the fingers.

Dawn felt Buffy's lips on her neck as the head of Xander's cock pressed against her. Buffy undid the catch on Dawn's bra and pushed the straps down her arms. Dawn put her hands on Xander's shoulders as he leaned in and kissed her chest, running his tongue down the curve until he found a nipple. Dawn curled her fingers in his hair and sank down onto him. They both groaned, and Buffy licked the shell of Dawn's ear and whispered, "Mm, he feels good, doesn't he, Dawn?"

All Dawn could manage was, "Yes."

Buffy put her hands on Dawn's hips and slid them up, to the bottom curve of her breasts. Xander pulled his lips back from Dawn's breast and Buffy teased both nipples with her fingers. Since Xander had sex with her earlier, Dawn knew what to do in this situation. She started to move her hips, lifting herself before sinking down, letting nature take its course. Buffy pressed her lips to Dawn's ear and started to whisper. Dawn moaned at what she said, the fantasies she described, and she pressed her hands against Xander's chest.

"...and when his tongue is inside of you," Buffy whispered, "yours will be inside of me..."

Dawn raked her fingers down Xander's chest and leaned back into Buffy's embrace. Buffy kissed down Dawn's neck, her hands cupping Dawn's breast as Xander bent down and kissed them, occasionally sucking one of Buffy's fingers.

"...Coming so much," Buffy continued, "coming over and over again until you can't stand it anymore..."

Dawn turned her head and captured Buffy's lips in a kiss. Xander kissed his way up Dawn's chest, and she felt his lips rough on her cheek. Dawn turned her head and kissed him, and Buffy kissed the corner of her mouth and extended her tongue. Buffy's tongue was in her mouth, ever so briefly fighting with Xander's for space before they both withdrew. Xander throbbed inside of her, rolled his head back, and dug his fingers into Dawn's hips. He pulled her down onto his cock and she rolled her lower body as she tightened her muscles around him. He lifted his hips off the mattress as he came, grunting Dawn and Buffy's names as his body relaxed.

Buffy whispered, "Come here, baby," and helped Dawn off Xander's lap. She lowered her to the bed and Dawn saw that she had shed her own bra, her breasts free as she climbed on top of Dawn's body. Dawn pulled Buffy down onto her and they kissed. Buffy settled between Dawn's legs, and Dawn hooked her feet together behind Buffy.

"Have you ever been with a woman?" Buffy asked, brushing her nose against Dawn's.

"No," Dawn said. "This is my first time with a woman."

Buffy kissed Dawn between the eyebrows. "I know you are my sister… But as strange as it sounds, if I had to be with a woman, I'd rather it be my sister than a best friend…"

Dawn licked Buffy's lips. "You want me?"

"Yes," Buffy whispered.

"I'm sorry about having sex with Xander."

Buffy smiled. "Oh, Dawn." She brushed her hand down Dawn's cheek and kissed her again. She placed her knees on the mattress and lifted her ass. Xander shifted on the mattress and knelt behind her. Dawn kissed Buffy with her eyes open, watching as Xander peeled the condom off and tossed it to the floor. He picked up a second wrapper, tore it open, and rolled it onto his half-soft cock. He looked into her eyes, and Dawn winked at him. He smiled and pressed himself against Buffy. Buffy wiggled her hips against him in invitation.

Xander licked two fingers and brought them down. Buffy moaned as he pushed his fingers into her and began to thrust. Dawn watched his arm work, watched Buffy roll her hips against him. Buffy rubbed against Dawn's crotch with every thrust against Xander, and it was almost like he was fucking them both. Dawn closed her eyes and kissed Buffy again, and the three of them found a rhythm to move against one another. When Xander was capable, his cock stiff and pressing against Buffy's hip, he withdrew his fingers and replaced it with his erection.

Buffy broke the kiss and cried out as Xander filled her. Dawn kissed Buffy's throat as Xander began thrusting against her. Buffy moved her hand between her body and Dawn's, and found her clit. "I want you to come first," Buffy whispered, and Dawn closed her eyes. "I want you to come for us..."

Dawn groaned and arched her back. Buffy's fingers slipped inside of her and Dawn pressed herself down against them. "Yes, please," Dawn moaned. "Yes, Buffy..."

Dawn came with Buffy's lips on hers, Xander's fingers digging into her thighs. The waves of her orgasm washed over her and eventually left her limp on the mattress. She put her arms around Buffy, lazily kissing her as Buffy began to climax as well. Buffy's breath was hot on her ear, and Dawn whispered encouragement to her as she watched Xander thrust over Buffy's shoulder. He pulled out of her and moved quickly up the bed. He peeled the condom away just as Dawn put her lips around him, and his cum spilled onto her tongue.

Dawn sucked until she was sure he was done, then turned her head and kissed Buffy. She pushed her tongue into Buffy's mouth, and Buffy moaned and swallowed. Dawn swallowed what remained, and pulled back to kiss Buffy's face. "Buffy, God."

"Hey, what about me?" Xander pouted.

Dawn smiled and reached to him. Xander stretched out next to Dawn, and she kissed his lips. Buffy sank down their bodies and kissed their chests, licking Dawn's breast before turning to cover Xander's chest with light kisses. Buffy and Xander looked at each other, and Xander said, "Buffy... I hope this doesn't affect our relationship..."

"Well as long as you cheat on people I love, and I'm present… It's okay for now," Buffy replied.

Dawn smiled. "I would like to have an encore sometime." Xander and Buffy both looked at her.

Buffy smiled and kissed Dawn's lips. Then Buffy kissed Xander's lips, and then indicated they should kiss each other. As Buffy watched, she smiled and told Dawn. "It'll depend on my mood."

Dawn smiled and slipped her tongue into Xander's mouth as Buffy slid down her body.

Dawn was okay with that.

Xander awoke later that morning after hearing a rustle of movement on the stairs and smelling food being cooked. Xander felt tired and unwilling to get up. He honestly didn't know what he was going to say to Buffy, or Dawn, for that matter. What do you say after something like that? Thanks for the sex, sorry I can only be with one of you? He wondered how, if anything, this had changed his relationship with Buffy. He wondered if she'll trust him anymore. Would she have lost trust even now? Does what happened the night before change them?

Xander supposed it did in some ways. And what about Dawn? If she and Buffy were found to have an incestuous relationship and what they had done last night, it's not like Xander can explain it away.

Dawn was drunk. Xander almost felt ashamed that he didn't make Dawn quit her advances and direction towards what ultimately became Xander's second threesome. He tried to put himself in Dawn's position and he could not believe what she had done, not even if she was drunk. She may have loved her sister Buffy, but I doubt she would have gone this far.

Suddenly, Xander remembered that he had sent orders to poison Falco, a consul of Rome. He sprung out of bed, hoping that what he did had been done in secrecy. He didn't know how Annia would feel the day after. Would she hate him once she realizes completely what he had done?

Xander threw on the toga he wore the night before, being careful not to wake Dawn and Buffy who were sleeping on both of his sides. Not even bothering to put on underwear, he raced outside towards the smell of food.

As soon as Xander got to the kitchen, he saw three sets of eyes looking at him. He saw plates of eggs, sausage and potatoes laid out. He also noticed a basket of croissants.

Galen looked concerned as he eyed him, Willow was ignoring him and Cato was trying not to laugh.

"Is everything all right?" Galen asked as Xander slid into a chair next to him.

Xander's breath was still heavy as he forced himself to calm down. "Oh, yeah," he said, quickly grabbing a croissant and biting into it. Flaky pieces of pastry stuck to his lips. "I just… slept a little late, sorry."

"Hm," Galen replied, stabbing a piece of sausage.

"We were wondering what happened to Buffy and Dawn," Willow said with a jealous snort. "Ow!" she protested when Cato jabbed her in the side. "I mean, we were hoping everyone in the gang slept well last night."

Galen smirked at Xander. "We know Xander slept well last night."

"Buffy and Dawn, too," Cato said, glancing over at Galen.

Xander knew what they were referring to. They knew about his threesome with Buffy and Dawn. How could they not? Someone must have wondered what happened to them that night. With that being said, Xander knew his actions, though perverse, could not be blamed on alcohol. Despite Dawn being drunk, she knew what she was doing. But for some reason, Galen and Cato, were protecting him from Willow's evident jealous rage.

Xander wondered why Willow had not joined him if she was so jealous. Maybe she found out too late. Instead of continuing on this subject, he decided to change it. "So what's on the agenda today?" Xander asked Galen.

"Not much that I know," Galen said. "I might make some rounds around the city today, see how everyone is doing."

"No plagues or anything in the city?" Cato asked.

"Not lately. That's why I would like to see the city," Galen explained.

Xander looked at Willow, who was making an effort not to look at him. Xander cleared his throat. Obviously the threesome he had with Dawn and Buffy had an effect on her. "I see. Well... I'm glad to see you Willow. It's been a while."

"That's all you're going to do now," Willow put in, her mouth full of food.

"I can walk with you later," Xander said to Willow, figuring this would give him an opportunity to make her calm down.

"Maybe we can hunt for another woman to join us for a threesome," Willow said sarcastically, looking up at Xander with a forced smile. "Seems like that's what you've been doing these days…"

Xander saw a dark look over Cato's face, and he excused himself quickly, heading out the back door, letting it slam behind him.

"What's that all about?" Galen asked, standing up to glance out the window, but Cato had taken off, probably back toward his chambers.

Xander wondered if Cato had feelings for Willow. He decided not to push it. He felt guilt rising up in his throat, and he pushed it down.

"I don't know," Xander said, gathering up the empty plates from the table.

"Of course he doesn't know. All he cares about is boning any woman he can," Willow said, frowning.

"All right!" Xander burst out. "I get it! You don't like what I did last night. Sorry!" Xander shoved the last couple of dishes into a nearby sink, not caring if they broke, and stormed out of the kitchen.

"Xander, I'm sorry-" Willow said, coming after him. Willow caught up to Xander at the bottom of the stairs outside. "I'm not trying to be a jerk. I love you- care about you, but, more than anything, I worry about you."

"Yeah," Xander said quietly, looking at the floor. "Well, let's go for a walk, Willow. Let me just get cleaned up. Okay?"

Willow nodded and let him go.

The walk around the Domus Augustana was quiet, neither of them saying anything. Finally, as they are at the edge of the end of the Palace, Willow sighed and said, "I just want to ask once and I promise I won't ask again."

Xander glanced at Willow, knowing what she was going to say, but let her have her peace.

"Is there any chance of us being an item?"

"You, Buffy, and Dawn? No."

"What if it was just me?"

"No," Xander said, without hesitation. "You don't know how much pressure I have." Xander gestured around to the city, which the Palace overlooked. "I have to run this city and take care of all of you. Especially Buffy and Dawn, who are in love with me and two women I love. Have you heard of three's a crowd?"

Willow frowned. She took Xander's hand. "You know the night Buffy and you gave me. I will always cherish it."

"I know," Xander said.

"I wish I could have been with you last night. I was with Cato last night and when we both saw you sleeping with Buffy and Dawn, we didn't want to disturb you. At least Cato didn't," Willow admitted.

"I know," Xander said, and he knew she meant it. Nothing against Willow, but she just happened to be the one left out. He loved Willow but at the moment, the Summer sisters were just too much for him to handle. Added onto them was an emotionally fragile Annia who he started to have feelings for and he was left in a situation where he had to satisfy four women. A part of him resented that the women liked him and that he liked them back, but another part couldn't blame himself. Even if he had slept with Willow along with Buffy and Dawn, he would be feeling jealously from someone.

"So," Willow said. "That's it, then? Between us. A one night stand with Buffy?"

"As lovers, yes." Xander stood in front of the edge of the palace, surveying the shining city with the sun pouring its rays into it. After a long silence, Xander decided to speak up again. "Cato seemed hurt by you're jealously."

"He knows I love you. But he needs someone."

"He's more than twice your age," Xander said. "Aren't you a lesbian?" Xander let go of Willow's hand, rubbing her fingertips together. "I mean I know I am an exception but another man, too?"

Willow nodded, not looking at him. "Every woman needs a man, Xander. Even if I was a lesbian, a woman needs a man at some point."

"So you are just using him?"

"No. We both need each other," Willow trailed off.

"What about Brittany?" Xander asked with a grim smile. "I figured you gals might have hit it off."

"We sort of did, but as one of your ex's, I know you would not have liked us together." Willow touched his arm gently. "Maybe you can have sex with me, Brittany, Dawn, Buffy, and that one girl you let sleep here last night…?"

Xander laughed. "Annia. Sounds kind of like Anya. Maybe that's why I like her. Her name."

Willow laughed at the similarity of the names. Then at the possibility that Anya might be alive at this time period. "What if she was around, now?"

Xander sighed and patted Willow on the shoulder. "She was old but not that old. I believe she told me she was born in the 800s. We're in the 100s." Then he took a deep breath. "I would be with her, I suppose."

Willow laughed. "If Anya was here, she would have killed all of the girls I mentioned, including me."

Xander smiled at the aspect of Anya being vengeful against his women. But he knew Anya too well to know that she wouldn't harm his friends. He looked at Willow with a grin. "Anya wouldn't harm you guys, I can promise you that. She would harm me and me alone."

When Willow went back to her room to get dressed and prepared for the day, Xander went to where Annia was and went through her door without knocking. He saw Annia sitting at a table with just a robe wrapped around her shoulders and underwear, and nothing else.

"How are you, Annia?" Xander asked, as he sat down across from her, but not before glancing on the seat to make sure nothing was on it. Sure enough, Xander had to shove a pair of women's garments to the ground before he sat.

Annia shrugged. "Okay." She took a long slug of liquor out of a bottle before leaning back and eyeing Xander up and down. "So… What brings you here? You want to feel better about what you did to my dad?"

Xander's cheeks heated up. "Annia," he said. "We talked about this. We agreed that-"

"We didn't agree on anything. I begged you to talk to him but you didn't want to do it," Annia sneered.

"Anyway, the reason I came over here was to see if I could, you know, give you some company. You don't know how sorry I am."

"I'm waiting for Trebonius to come back. He told me he'd tell me if it was done," Annia said, considering.

Xander swallowed deeply before it came out in a rush. "I slept with Buffy and her sister."

This made Annia spit out her drink, spraying both Xander and the table. "What?" she said, sitting up straight. "Fuck. You had sex with them?"

Xander frowned at her, letting her know that he was serious.

"Oh, hell," Annia said. "You're not lying."

Xander shook his head.

"I don't know why you told me." Annia pulled out a bottle from a box near the table. She slid it across to him, and Xander had to scramble to catch it before it fell. "You're going to need this more than I will. I don't know how you can live with yourself killing my father," Annia said to him with a dark smirk.

"I don't know how you can live with having sex with half of the Roman elite," Xander said.

"I'm not the one who slept with Buffy and her sister… at once?" Annia asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know Rome has an incestuous past but your woman and her sister…. Wow…."

"It's not like they were forced," Xander said.

"Do your friends know?"

Xander nodded quickly.

Annia nodded. "Well… having a threesome is not unique around here. I've had one before. But incest is unique. But if it was consensual…"

"Dawn was drunk. Buffy's sister," Xander sighed. He cracked open a bottle of liquor, taking a long slug out of it.

"That makes things complicated," Annia said. "Depends on how drunk she was…"

"She wasn't that drunk, but drunk enough to have sex with her sister."

For a second, Annia just looked at him. "Do you see having a future with both of them?"

"Dawn?" Xander asked.

Annia sighed loudly and raised an eyebrow at him, as if to say, of course.

Xander waited a moment before responding, "I guess I could. There are other cultures I'm sure where you have multiple wives, right?"

"There's always someone that's going to be hurt," Annia said. "The less people you attach yourself to, the less chance you have of hurting them. Or losing them."

There was truth to that, Xander knew. But he also knew that he wanted Dawn to be a part of his relationship with Buffy. He wanted to wake up beside Dawn every morning, and tell her things, and listen to what she had to say, and eventually, hopefully, feel her smooth body pressed up against his, helping him sleep at night, providing him with an additional comfort he desperately needed.

"I think I need both of them. I love Buffy so much and I can see it in her eyes that she loves me just as much. But I also see Dawn's eyes and I can see that she loves me. I cannot just say no to her and let her suffer like she has," Xander admitted.

"Someone is going to suffer eventually. If I was sharing a boyfriend with someone, well, first of all, I wouldn't, but if I was… I would want more of him than the other woman. This will probably cause jealously between the sisters and it will probably not turn out well… so I would decide which one you want more…. Dawn or Buffy?"

Xander made a face at Annia and stood up.

"I want both," Xander said, grabbing the bottle.

"Good luck with that! You're welcome for the liquor!" Annia shouted as Xander went to the front door.

"Yeah, thanks!" Xander shouted back, as he let the door slam behind him.

Xander felt more confused. He knew in his heart that what Annia told him was the right thing to do, but he didn't know if he could handle breaking another girl's heart. He had done it to Cordelia and Anya. He did not want to do it again.

After finishing the liquor, Xander searched for his friend Trebonius, urgent to hear of the poisoning of Falco. He was startled to hear a woman shout his name. Though the voice was distorted by the general talking around the Palace, he immediately recognized its distinctive voice. Swinging around, he saw Buffy rushing toward him. The next moment he clutched to her bosom in a fierce hug. Then, shoving him away a pace, Buffy gazed avidly at his face. "Xand," she murmured, and a glaze of tears smudged her eyes.

"Buffy, what's the rush?"

"I woke up and you weren't there. I was nervous."

"How's Dawn?"

"Sleeping like a baby."

Xander stared at her, gazing at her lovely, open face, before he was overcome with an intense, belated sense of loss. He knew things wouldn't be the same between him and Buffy, now that Dawn had come into the picture.

"I love you, Xander," Buffy said.

Xander shivered at her words. "I love you too," Xander said.

"I feel wonderful this morning!" Buffy giggled. Taking his hand, she said, "Let's go."

"Go? Where to?"

"The city."

"Again?"

"Something to do. I like how everyone treats us like celebrities."

Xander gaped at her. "Are you feeling okay, Buffy? What about Dawn?"

"Dawn? Let her sleep."

Xander had no response to that.

As they were about to exit the palace, one of Xander's several assistants said something he didn't follow.

"He said there's someone inside following you," Buffy said, nodding toward the far corner of the Palace.

Turning his head, Xander saw a man walking in their direction. Xander didn't realize who it was until Buffy's whispered exclamation, "Giles!" exploded in his ear.

Xander froze, utterly at a loss. All three were immobile, each one struggling to integrate the fact of that momentous moment. "Giles-?" Xander croaked finally.

"Xander."

Spoken in that voice sounded simultaneously odd and familiar to Xander. Yet the man coming toward him with a shy, apprehensive half-smile and a tentatively stretched out hand had the aspect of a stranger. Xander's first feeling was that this was not Giles.

"Xander?"

Startled out of his paralysis by Buffy's sharp nudge, Xander said Giles name once more. They came together in a hug that was more a small collision than an actual embrace.

"Here's Buffy," Xander said, his voice still hoarse with surprise.

"Hello, Giles," Buffy said, receiving a tight hug from Giles.

"Buffy and Xander!" Giles exclaimed.

"How did you-?" Xander began off-key.

Xander barely listened as Giles explained that he had perfected how to time travel and that he had done it to bring Jenny back. He also heard how he had gone back in time and saved Jenny from death at Angel's hands. "I'm going on a time travel vacation with Jenny. I left her back in Paris in the 1920s and I wanted to pay you a visit before I go back to see her."

There was something truly nerve-racking about this Giles, something both strange and familiar. Maybe it was the out of place trim navy blue business suit or the unfamiliar cologne he was wearing. Perhaps it was the happiness he had in his face that he had not seen since Jenny's death.

"You look… happy," Xander said roughly.

Giles blinked, registering the surprise in Xander's remark. "Why shouldn't I be? I finally figured out how to time travel and I can be with the woman I love," Giles replied, lifting his chin in a gesture at once hurt and defiant.

Taking charge, Buffy led Xander and Giles toward the far end of the Palace, to an enclave populated with sofas and armchairs. They made a fuss about sitting down, and Xander fought back an impulse to hit Giles for what pain he had caused by sending him to the Roman Empire circa 193.

In an unkind mood, Xander said bluntly, "Why come here…? Now? You know what you did to Buffy and I?"

Giles flinched. "I didn't know what happened until you disappeared. Then I knew. I was experimenting with time travel and I had what were the beginnings of my experiment in a black bag. I wanted to show you what I was doing but because Faith being drunk that night at Buffy's, my priorities changed and I left the bag by mistake at her house. Unfortunately Buffy brought it back to Xander's… who also had a black bag."

Xander's mouth trembled. "So you're blaming me?"

"No. It was just a misunderstanding. There was no intent to send anyone back in time. I only wanted to do the time travel because I wanted to save Jenny."

"So this Rome thing was an experiment? Do you realize we could have died?!" Xander said tartly, irritated by Giles' tone and manner.

For an instant a truly sad look clouded Giles' face. "Love makes you do crazy things," he murmured. "I know it and you know it." Giles glanced at Buffy. "If it wasn't for your boyfriend…"

A flash of anger at the implied slight to Buffy made Xander's eyes flare, and Giles tucked in his head like a scared turtle. For a moment Xander almost felt sorry for him, but the impulse passed quickly. Despite Xander feeling raw anger to Giles, he felt Giles deserved to be treated nicely for all the years he had been a friend to Buffy and himself. Giles made a mistake, Xander reasoned. But it didn't seem like he was paying for it like he should.

"How long did it take you to make this time travel thing?" Xander asked in a polite tone.

"Many years. I used all accessories I could. You know, witchcraft, spells, and the like. It was an engrossing and very rewarding experience when I realized I could do it." With a spurt of pride, he added, "I have to be the first man to do this in the world."

"I bet you are," Xander retorted.

"I know all about you," Giles ran on. "I love ancient history. The only reason I knew how to find you was in the history of Roman Emperors. You were on there."

The thought of him being in history books as a Roman Emperor made Xander excited but incredibly nervous. "So there's a biography and everything?"

"Yes! Galen wrote it. Somehow it managed to last just like Marcus Aurelius' Meditations. It was a nice biography. He even talked about his conversation with you…" Giles seemed to launch into one of his exhaustive speeches, but caught himself short. "And you too Buffy. You were mentioned as Xander's mistress."

Buffy looked stunned. "Mistress? Not wife?"

"I ruled for a long time, right?" Xander cut in. "I was one of the best emperors?"

"That's the reason why I am here," Giles said. He rose abruptly and gave Xander a stern stare. "I came here to save you and your friends." Giles slipped Xander a note into his hands. "That's instructions on how to open the portal and how to get back to California. I want to meet your other friends. I believe Brittany, Willow, and Dawn are here too."

Giles held out his hand. Xander took it, then pulled Xander into a clumsy hug. "Am I supposed to die soon or what?"

Giles nodded gravely as if to say yes and walked away towards the center of the Palace. "We have until sun down before you need to leave this time period. I will guide you through this process and make sure everyone returns home safely," Giles shouted with his back turned, as he scurried quickly through the Palace.

"God, did you hear what he said, Xander?!" Buffy exclaimed even before Giles disappeared. Her eyes glazed with sympathy as she said, "Poor Giles."

"Poor Giles? He gets to be with Jenny now. What about us?" Xander said bitterly.

"Huh?"

"I mean all of our experiences. You could have been hanged, I was poisoned, nearly stabbed- the list goes on. Acacia and Illeana wouldn't have died if Giles didn't get us into this mess. Don't you get that?"

Buffy gaped at him. Then her shocked expression eased. "He did cause us a great amount of trouble. But he's here to save us and that makes up for his faults."

"I knew I was in trouble. I'm glad we can get out of here before it's too late."

"And why do you think you are in trouble?"

"Before our…" Xander trailed off, blushing. Then he continued, "Before our threesome with Dawn, I told you that I was going to poison the consul. I'm sure this is what is going to cause my death."

"Why are you poisoning him?"

"I told his daughter that I was a Christian. She told her dad, who is the consul. He hates Christians and can persuade the Senate to get me killed."

"Jesus Christ, Xander. Why are you not getting rid of that bitch?!"

"It was an accident. I believe her. She's been used by her father. She's a good person, I swear."

Buffy's eyes locked in on Xander's, sharp and knowing. "You like this girl don't you? Is she the next girl we're going to fuck?" Before Xander could respond, Buffy added angrily, "You know what? I'm just going to let this go since we have other important things going on."

"I'm shocked that Giles just came out of nowhere," Xander said. "I don't even know if that just happened. It happened, right?"

"You're good at changing the subject Xander, but yes, he was just here," Buffy said.

"I knew there was a way out. I knew it."

"We just got to get out as soon as we can," Buffy said. "Giles got us into this mess and now he has to get us out."

Once Buffy and Xander reached their friends' chambers, they found that the situation was exactly what they had speculated. Giles had spent the entire time sucking up to their friends.

Eventually Giles ended his talk and dismissed them to get prepared.

As Xander spotted Giles about to walk away, he decided to make a move.

"Buffy," Xander whispered. "I'm going to try to find out why he's saving us."

"Sure," Buffy replied.

"You can come too," Xander added as they resumed the trek towards Giles.

"I wasn't planning on leaving your side," Buffy responded.

As they neared Giles, they passed Cato and Willow who were wrapped in a passionate embrace, unconcerned with what others were feeling about them as they thoroughly explored each other's mouths. Xander noted how Buffy stiffened at the sight, and heard her mutter, "He's old enough to be her grandpa."

"What difference does it make?" Xander asked quietly.

Buffy frowned. "I guess age doesn't matter," she said. "But you should know what he did to his deceased wife, Xand. That abuse is something to be concerned about."

Xander nodded. He knew that what Buffy was saying was true.

"But then again I don't know Willow anymore to judge," Buffy continued. This got Xander to look at her kindly. "You don't know her anymore either."

The kind look in Xander's face turned to surprise at her statement, then shock as he took her hand and laced her fingers into his. Then they both turned away from each other, looking straight ahead as they resumed their walk. Their hands stayed together. Even though they weren't looking at each other, each was aware of the smile on the other's face.

A few minutes later, Buffy and Xander appeared beside Giles in a dark corner of the room.

"Buffy and Xander?" Giles said as he noticed them walk up to him.

"You didn't tell us why we needed saving," Xander declared with a smirk.

Giles took a deep breath, giving Xander a frustrated look. "Christianity in Rome did not become legal until 313 because of Emperor Constantine. You could not have known that Romans hated Christians, but religion is very important to Romans and you should have consulted with someone before giving your religion," Giles said angrily, then softened his tone. "Along with becoming a famous Roman Emperor you became a Saint… A Christian martyr just like Perpetua and Felicity would be ten years from now."

Xander and Buffy's jaws dropped. Before they could speak, ten guardsmen filled the corridor, led by Varius. The guardsmen glared at Giles for a while, before Xander motioned them to leave, and they backed out of the corridor, and the group eventually dispersed.

"How did you get in here?" Xander asked, amazed. "Snuck in?"

Giles slumped against a wall. "There was no other way. Not just anyone can meet the Emperor."

"You were talking about Xander being a Saint?" Buffy said behind Xander. "How did he become a Saint?"

Giles looked at Buffy, disappointed that he had to explain all the details, and shook his head. "The Senate will declare Xander a public enemy and declare Clodius Albinus Emperor."

"Tell us why we need to be saved," Buffy said. "When and how are we going to die?"

"Yeah, will I die in a blaze of glory?" Xander put in excitedly.

"Sure," Giles said. He took a moment looking at Xander and Buffy, then added, "The men Xander just gestured to leave will kill him to honor the Senate's vote. That vote shouldn't be until later today."

A rush of sympathy for Giles broke through Xander. He hugged Giles, warmly. "Thanks for telling me. Did I die bravely?" Xander asked softly.

"You battled them bravely but there were too many and you were killed by their swords," Giles said crisply.

"What made the Senate declare him a public enemy?" Buffy asked.

"They knew I poisoned the consul," Xander said, assuming that his plan to poison Falco had succeeded. "I bet he told someone I was a Christian before he died."

"How do you know he was killed, Xander?" Buffy asked him frantically. "Maybe he wasn't."

"Falco was not poisoned," Giles exclaimed. "I did extensive research into your last days Xander. There was no mention of the consul being killed." Giles stared at Xander intently. "But it seems you decided to meddle with Roman politics. Not a good idea," he said simply.

"Hey, I made it this far, didn't I? I must have been good enough in politics!" Xander pounded his chest over his heart.

"You made it by luck," Giles said calmly. "Galen's biography of you states that."

"Please," Buffy pleaded. "Let's not argue here."

"You famously argued in the Senate on behalf of Christians in an Empire that crucifies them weekly," Giles continued relentlessly. "You were way in over your head, Xander."

"I wanted to change things here," Xander countered. "I'm not a devout Christian. Hell, I don't even know what I am. But when one group is oppressed, I cannot let that stand!"

Giles pointed his index finger at Xander. "You could have ruled for many years instead of a few days. I admire that you made it this far but you could have been one of the great Emperors."

"Well according to you, I'm a Saint," Xander laughed, but with an edge.

"You will be. Even after I get you out of here, I am positive it will be surmised that you were killed," Giles said. "But let's not argue about these petty things. I told your friends my apologies." Before Xander could reply, he rushed on. "I am sorry to you and Buffy too. I should have mentioned that when I first saw you."

"About time you apologized," Xander sighed, pleased that he had heard an apology from Giles.

"Even though I am critical of you, Xander," Giles said warmly. "I am proud of you. You changed the world."

Xander wasn't sure how to respond, but Buffy said suavely, "We changed the world," she declared.

"Buffy, can you give me and Giles a minute?" Xander asked, noticing in Giles' expression that he wanted to tell him something important.

"I'll go find out how everyone is doing," Buffy said briskly.

Left alone, Giles and Xander were suddenly awkward with each other. It had been a long time since they had a private conversation together. He had grown up a lot since he had told Giles his 'mount me' phrase after he had become a hyena. For his part, Xander knew he and Giles didn't know how to treat each other. Friends? Mentor? What was their relationship? In the silence that followed Buffy's departure Xander could almost hear him rehearsing what he was going to say.

"When I said you changed the world, I meant that," Giles said finally, stiffly. "You brought about the end of the Praetorian Guard… which ironically would have been done by Constantine… the man who brought tolerance to all religions... especially Christianity…"

"That's what I wanted. Tolerance of all religions," Xander smiled.

"Well, at least you one upped him with the Praetorian Guard," Giles said.

"I have a feeling that guard killed a lot of Emperors," Xander said with a frown.

"Julia… according to Galen, whom I know you, had an affair with… Her son Caracalla was killed by his personal bodyguard when attempting to relieve himself," Giles said eagerly.

Xander laughed. "Well I'm glad I didn't get killed that way."

Giles asked Xander if he liked being Emperor and Xander said no, referring back to how he had to argue on behalf of Christians and having to attempt to poison a consul to make sure he wouldn't persuade the Roman Senate to kill him.

"But one thing I did like was the women," Xander said. "I have to thank you for sending me here because of that." Meant as a joke, this was truer than Xander could have imagined. He felt like he had been walking on water since being in Rome in terms of women and he liked that he had been successful with so many of them.

Giles eyed him suspiciously. "You're a strange one, Xander. Maybe more than I know. But if it wasn't for you becoming Emperor, I would not have been able to find you. I knew you were in this time period but that's like finding-"

"A needle in a haystack, yeah," Xander agreed miserably.

"Don't look so glum," Giles chided. "You're about to go back to normalcy. You said you don't like being Emperor."

"Well the women I will miss."

Giles patted Xander on the arm. "You were good with them back in California."

"Yeah, but I won't be ruling the world!"

"All good things come to an end, Xander. Be thankful you made it this far. You could have died many times before becoming Emperor but you didn't. You took care of everyone here. I heard from Cato, Brittany, Dawn, and Willow. You were their protector." Giles nodded sagely. "It may seem abrupt and anti-climactic for you to die so suddenly after what you've done but no good acts guarantee a good end. It might guarantee you a place in heaven but we don't know if there is one."

Xander grinned. "You can find a way to time travel but not know what happens after we die? Come on, Giles!"

"Well you can ask Buffy," Giles said with a smile.

Xander could see a fatherly look in Giles' eyes. Xander smiled and folded Giles into his arms, hugging him. The hug cut right through him as he hugged Giles close, feeling his warmth in the harshness of his breath. Giles was forgiven.

Despite the anxious excitement everyone was feeling about leaving Rome to go to present day, Xander had managed to wait outside the front gates of the Palace, expecting to find Trebonius at any moment. He desperately wanted to know what had happened to Annia's father. After a few minutes of waiting, Xander noticed Trebonius walking to the gates. Xander opened them.

"Trebonius!"

"Hey Xander!"

Trebonius looked at Xander expectantly. He cleared his throat, suddenly shy, a flush creeping into his cheeks.

"What is it, Trebonius?"

"I have some news."

Trebonius reached for Xander's hand and with his other hand, closed the gates. He then moved him behind the staircase, out of sight of anyone who could overhear their conversation.

"It's all right. Tell me now," Xander informed him quickly.

Trebonius sighed. Noticing Xander's grim look on his face, he gave a look of concern. "Don't tell me you know what happened."

"I know he didn't get poisoned, right?"

Trebonius' eyes sharpened and his expression sobered. "Annia-"

"I just talked to her. She's doing fine."

Trebonius gave Xander a worried sigh, looking bothered. "She left the Palace in the early morning. She informed her father of your plans."

"So I was right. Falco wasn't poisoned."

Trebonius eyed Xander with a mixture of uncertainty and surprise. "You are okay with Annia doing this? Nepos didn't find Falco so I guess he's nowhere to be found too."

Xander swallowed nervously. He figured Annia could do this. He was going to kill her father. Any daughter who loved her father wouldn't just let it happen. But he was disturbed that she had not mentioned it to him when he talked to her. "So this means I'm in trouble, huh?"

"The Senate will declare you a public enemy," Trebonius pointed out. He gave a muffled sob and tears started to pour down his eyes, running down his cheeks. "You are going to be killed."

Xander placed the palm of his right hand against a wall for support. "I know that."

"Oh, Xander!" Trebonius cried, wrapping his arms tightly around him. "You're my favorite man in the whole world. I'm sorry this didn't work out the way it should have!"

Xander nodded and broke the hug gently from Trebonius. Xander attempted a bright, cheerful smile but an ache in his throat intensified. It was a sob that was about to come. "It's okay Trebonius. Everything will be all right."

Xander wanted to laugh it off, but instead he felt a sudden anguish. He knew it was the end between him and Trebonius. He didn't want Trebonius to travel to an unfamiliar land like he did and start over. He also felt pain upon being betrayed once more by Annia. He had given her a room and treated her nicely. He should have expected her to do this.

Xander cleared his throat and raised his eyes to the sky, forcing a short, painful laugh. He had trusted and liked Annia too much that it had been his downfall. "Galen was right. Women do the most harm."

"Do you want to talk about it, Xander?"

The concern in Trebonius' voice was irritating Xander. "No. Oh, for fuck sake-" A tear fell down his cheek and Xander swiped at it furiously.

"Xander, what is it?" Sounding aghast, Trebonius leaned toward him, reaching out to touch him.

Xander raised his arms to deflect him. "Just give me a minute!" Xander's chest shuddered with repressed sobs. He cupped his hands over his face. The realization that he would not be talking with his friend Trebonius anymore and the fact that Annia was the reason for him getting killed was too much for Xander.

"Xander, it's going to be all right. Please don't…" Trebonius' voice was softly imploring.

"I'm going to be gone," Xander choked, closing his eyes. "Please take care of yourself. I don't want you to be around me anymore." Xander breathed deeply, hot tears escaping down his eyes.

"By Jupiter, Xander, no!" Trebonius gasped. "Why would I leave you alone in your time of need?!""

"Because that's what I want." Xander straightened up and rubbed his face fiercely. "I am sorry Trebonius. You have served me well."

"I just want to be with you in the end," Trebonius said quietly. "I was there with you when we killed the Praetorian guardsmen. I want to be with you now."

Xander took a frantic breath. "I know. Me too. But we all die alone, Trebonius. And if you do consider me your favorite man in the world, please do this for me."

"Maybe one day we will see each other in Elysium?" Trebonius said with a smile.

Xander nodded, getting what he meant that hopefully someday he would be with Trebonius in the future. "Maybe. Yes."

Trebonius gave Xander a tired smile and wrapped his arms around Xander's neck, resting his cheek against his shoulder.

"Don't be afraid."

Xander nodded and smiled through the tears, suddenly realizing how much he appreciated and liked Trebonius. "One last piece of advice for you, Trebonius?" Xander offered.

"Yes, Xander?"

Smiling, Xander replied, "Next time don't ask a girl to kiss you in front of her boyfriend? It usually doesn't end well."

Trebonius laughed.

Xander waited for Annia to change into a toga that was loaned to her by one of his staff, and when she came back into the room he was sitting on one end of a bed, not quite in the middle of it. He patted the spot next to him and, warily, she came over and sat down next to him. "We need to talk," Xander said, turning to look at her.

She made a scoffing noise and her eyes narrowed as she threw her hands up slightly. "What? No we don't!"

"I know what you did," Xander said quietly.

"That's a random thing for you to say," Annia said, her voice snapping slightly.

"You protected your father and got him away before he could be poisoned."

Annia looked at him, and with a seemingly sudden deflation she dropped the glare, the posture and her hands, and slumped forward slightly. "All right, yes, I warned my father and made him go to a safe place," Annia said quietly.

Xander nodded slightly, and then, suppressing a yawn, stood up. She watched until he motioned for her to do the same, and then she rose. "Today I am going to go away for good. You caused my death… So I won't be seeing you around anymore."

"But you know I didn't tell him anything," Annia said. "Nothing will happen to you, I promise."

Xander shook his head, keeping down another yawn.

Annia made a triumphant expression on her face and pointed at him. "You're lying. You just don't run away from your duty as Emperor!"

"I'm not running away," Xander pointed out after he let the yawn escape.

"Then you're dying? You'll be okay. What can the Senate do?" Annia said with a forced smile. After a moment of silence, it faltered. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too Annia," Xander said quietly.

Annia looked at him, and then dashed a hand across her eyes. "I shouldn't cry," she said quietly, fiercely.

Xander looked at her, and then pulled her into a hug. She may have caused him trouble and an impending death but Xander liked her despite that. He felt sympathy for her in a way he had not felt even for Acacia or Illeana. He cared about them, but what he felt towards Annia was something deeper.

She grabbed the back of his toga, bunched her fists in it and sobbed into his chest. He rubbed her back, not saying anything but making sure she stayed close. Xander knew this might show her how important she was to him. They stayed like this for quite a while, until she let go of his toga. She took a deep breath, then another, and looked up at him. She smiled at him through wet tears. "Thank you, Xander, for being kind to me."

"Be kind to yourself, first, Annia," he said back. "You're a woman and you can make your own decisions. Don't let me or any other man make them for you."

"Okay…"

Xander knew what he wanted to ask, but didn't know how to ask it. So he went back over to her bed, stretched on it, and then motioned for her to join him. Hesitantly, she moved over to the bed and laid down next to him. "Don't get any funny ideas," Xander said. "I want you to rest here today. I'm sure this morning has been hectic for you."

Annia scoffed as Xander made the bed sheets curled. "I made that bed a few minutes ago."

"Well I want you to rest here today," Xander said, looking at her intently. "I don't want to cross paths with you again."

"Okay," Annia said seriously with a short nod of her head. She sniffed as more tears came down her eyes. "I guess this is goodbye."

"Goodbye Annia," Xander said quietly. He smiled at her, and she smiled back before moving over slightly, close enough to inhale his unique scent, as he did the same for her. Xander knew that everything would be all right for her and her father. He was glad that his plan to poison her father had not worked, knowing he would be escaping back to the present with his friends without much guilt.


End file.
